Wayward Sons
by D890
Summary: What happens to our boys of Supernatural when they come up against a totally different kind of Hunter than they are used to? Can Sam save Dean from a vengeful witch out ot make men pay for what was done to her and will they be able to understand that just because an entity may be supernatural doesn't necessarily make it evil?
1. Chapter 1

Wayward Sons

Chapter One

06/01/2006 Thursday Evening

_Carry On My Wayward Son_

_For There Will Be Peace When You Are Done_

_Lay Your Weary Head to Rest_

_Don't You Cry No More_

_- Kansas - _

Dean sat at the bar nursing his beer as he watched the group of women who walked in. They were laughing and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. There were eight of them and they seemed to vary in age. They were all very pretty; each one in their own way, but it was probably the oldest one that caught Dean's eye. He wouldn't say he knew she was the oldest because she looked older; because she didn't. He knew she was older from the way she carried herself and how she seemed to mother the group. But more importantly to Dean, she had caught his eye simply because she was beautiful.

And her beauty wasn't just in her looks; Dean could almost feel the beauty from this distance that seemed to come from within her. There was something about her; she just seemed to project beauty. She had shoulder length light brown hair that seemed to have red highlights from the way the lights in the bar reflected off her and she had a very nice shape from what he was able to see. Yes, she definitely had a nice shape, he thought as he smiled to himself. He felt something when he looked at her and he couldn't totally explain what that was, but he knew he had to introduce himself to her before this night was over.

Sam came up to Dean and resumed his seat next to him after a quick trip to the bathroom. Sam noticed right away that something or more accurately, someone had caught Dean's attention and he couldn't help a small grin; he was glad. Recent events had him worried about his brother's emotional state; not that Dean ever had much of an emotional state to begin with, but since their father had basically sold Dean out, well, Sam was having a hard time believing what John had done and he could only imagine what Dean was feeling about the betrayal.

What had happened made Sam so angry with the man. He didn't think he'd ever been this angry with John Winchester during his twenty-three years. They'd finally come across their father in Chicago after Meg had set her trap using them as bait to lure their father there. They had parted ways with him in that alley based on Dean's logic that their father was safer without them; and Sam had reluctantly agreed, but that was before. Before he knew they might not see him again and he wanted; needed to find the thing that had killed Jess.

Both Sam and Dean had decided to lay low for a few days to take some time to heal from the Daevas' attacks and that was when James Bennett had found them. Just one day after separating from their father, the two were back to being bait to lure their father in and they hadn't even seen this one coming.

They had been at a local diner when they were jumped in the parking lot by Bennett and three other men. They'd been taken to an abandoned barn somewhere nearby and John had been there when they'd come to; and well, it hadn't ended well. They had all gotten away, but not before Bennett had forced John to choose between his sons. Which son would he sacrifice so the other could live, and God help him, John Winchester had chosen Sam to live… and Dean to die.

John had not even tried to explain his decision nor Bennett's vengeance towards them, but Sam had done some research that morning on Bennett and found out that he had lost a son a couple years back in what was called a hunting accident; and Sam could only guess what that meant in the Hunter world; but he realized that whatever happened Bennett blamed John for his son's death. And by taking Sam and Dean and making John choose between his sons that Bennett was trying to make John feel the way he'd felt after losing his son.

They didn't know the details and John didn't come clean, but Sam thought that Dean knew something he wasn't telling. He had let their father leave again this morning and hadn't said one word about what had happened since they'd made their way to Frisco, Texas where they had a job waiting for them. Dean was all about the job and nothing else this morning.

He had been pushing Sam away since the minute they'd hit the road and no matter how hard Sam pushed back, Dean only pushed harder; and that just made Sam all the more angry with John Winchester; and with himself.

It hadn't helped that Sam had told Dean that he'd leave when they found and killed the yellow-eyed demon back in Chicago. Sam understood now how much his words had hurt Dean, but at the time it was how he felt. He really didn't want to be doing this job ten years from now, but he knew that wasn't the way Dean felt about things. Sam couldn't help thinking back to the words they'd had in the hotel room that night just before going to Meg.

_"God could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?" Sam asked, amazed that they could be facing the thing they'd been hunting for so long._

_"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, all right?" Dean replied as he looked at Sam, although he could understand Sam's feelings if they could finally end this once and for all._

_"I know. I'm just sayin', what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month. Go back to school-be a person again."_

_Dean paused in handling their weapons. "You wanna go back to school?"_

_"Well, yeah, once we're done huntin' this thing." Sam answered as he pulled the slide on his semi-automatic chambering a round._

_"Huh." Dean said flatly, as he tossed his pistol on the bed next to the weapons bag._

_"Why, is there something' wrong with that?"_

_"No." Dean shook his head as he looked at Sam. "No, it's, uh, great. Good for you." He concentrated on the blade sheath he held in his hands now. He didn't want to meet Sammy's eyes. He couldn't believe that Sam would still want to walk away from the hunt; away from him._

_"I mean, what are you gonna do when it's all over?" Sam asked; confusion mixed with irritation at Dean's demeanor._

_"It's never gonna be over." Dean said as he strapped the sheath to his hand and tried to keep his feelings in check. "There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be somethin' to hunt." He knew he would always do this job, hell he didn't know how to do anything else; but it hurt to think that Sam couldn't wait to get away from him._

_"But there's got to be somethin' that you want for yours – " Sam started, before he was cut off._

_"Yeah, I don't want you to leave the second this thing's over, Sam." Dean said as he walked over to the dresser flexing his hands and fingers as he tried to remain claim; he knew he had to keep his emotions locked away; pushed back; not allow his anger at Sam wanting to run away from him again to show. He just wished…God he just wished Sam would want to be a family again._

_"Dude, what's your problem?" Sam was a little surprised that Dean was turning this into a fight. He'd always said he'd be done when they found dad and the demon. He'd never tried to hide the fact that he hated this life._

_Dean stood there bracing his hands on either side of the dresser as he tried to silently think how to reply to Sam. He needed Sam to understand why he did this; why he did the job; why he needed Sam when he did the job. "Why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?" He asked as he turned back to face Sam, his eyes showing a little bit of his pain._

_" 'Cause Dad was in trouble. 'Cause you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom."_

_"Yes, that, but it's more than that, man." Dean turned back to the dresser as he ran the words through his head. He slowly turned and took a step back to Sam. "You and me and Dad – I mean, I want us… I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again." His eyes shining with the shimmer of his tears at being ripped in two by the mere thought of Sam abandoning him again._

"You home there Sammy?" Dean asked snapping his fingers in front of Sam's face. He'd noticed how Sam had remained quiet after returning from the bathroom.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Sam stammered as he came back to the present. "Hey, why don't you go and do your thing, Casanova?" Sam asked as he saw Dean go back to watching the group of women.

He didn't really want Dean's mind to wander too far from this hunt, but he also knew Dean needed to release his pent up emotions he was just trying to shove deep down and hide away. Dean needed to face what had happened and Sam couldn't get him to talk about it, so maybe he could get him to after he lost himself a little in some female companionship.

The one thing that Sam knew about Dean and women was that Dean loved women; _all _types of women. Dean didn't put a lot of stock in just a woman's looks or her age. Yeah, the prettier they were the more he looked, but what Sam had learned over the years of watching his brother's method of flirting was that he could actually gauge Dean's mood simply by the type of woman he gravitated to when he was flirting.

If Dean picked up pretty with big assets, then it meant that he just wanted a night to forget everything that had happened during a recent hunt; to relax and loosen up with no strings attached. But the more intelligent and beautiful the woman, well, that meant he was looking for comfort and not just a one night stand; and if the woman were older than Dean, then it meant he was looking for a more emotional connection; one that Sam really didn't think Dean even realized he was looking for.

Sam liked it best when Dean picked someone of this latter type, but then again he didn't like it either; because it meant that Dean was choosing a stranger to confide somewhat in instead of confiding his feelings to Sam. Sam wanted more than anything for Dean to feel he could talk to him, but deep down he knew that Dean would not do that. It went against everything they'd learned from John when he'd raised them.

Sam could see that the woman Dean had his eye on was definitely in that latter group. She was very beautiful, Sam had to admit that, and she appeared to be more mature than the other girls with her; she even seemed more of everything than any of Dean's more typical choices. Which could only mean one think to Sam, that Dean was truly hurting from the past few days more than Sam had imagined. Dean was hurting both physically and emotionally and he just wanted someone he could totally give himself over to; someone who would let him in and not demand anything more from him than he could give.

"Why don't you go over there and lay those puppy dog eyes of yours on one of them yourself, Beethoven?" Dean smirked back. He smiled at Sam as he turned back to look at his baby brother. He knew Sam had him some what pegged with his choices in women, but he didn't mind that too much, because he also knew just how to read Sam from some of the choices he made.

"Funny Dean." Sam said, but he did look at the group and he did notice a girl sitting next to the woman Dean had his eye on. She was pretty and her resemblance to the woman was uncanny. They were definitely related, but the question was how.

"Oh, I see the gleam in your eyes there puppy boy. Got your eye on one for yourself now, don't you?"

"Shut up." Sam grumbled as he blushed slightly and returned to his beer. "You shouldn't be working on picking up the girl of the week anyway; we need to move to a table so we can go over the map and this case. If you're wanting to get started on this hunt, we need to familiarize ourselves with this town and the research I have so far. We don't know for sure where we may end up and we need to know all routes in and out of town just in case."

"Don't worry Sammy, I'm working here. I've been talking to the bartender slash owner, Jimmy. He knows most of the men that were killed and he even mentioned that some of the locals believe the one responsible for their deaths is a local woman. They call her Eva and they say she's a witch." Dean turned to look one more time at the group of women at the nearby table. "God, I hate witches. Hopefully we can get this one quick and get this case closed."

"A witch? For real?" Sam seemed amazed by that. They'd both been going with the possibility that is was a vengeful spirit. Finding out that they could be up against a witch instead was important information to know when it came to fighting it.

"Yep. Jimmy said she's a real honest to God witch." Dean paused as he leaned in closer to Sam and whispered. "Seems he has a cousin who knows all about witches; she seems to have this mission to weed out real witches from the crazy wiccan wannabes who just run around dancing naked under a full moon. Not that I'd mind see that." He added with a wicked grin on his face.

"It's called going sky-clad, Dean and Wicca is a practiced religion." Sam replied automatically without thinking.

"Man, sometimes your weird-o-meter amazes me. How can you even know that?" Dean asked shaking his head at Sam.

"I read, dude. You should try it sometime."

"Pass, if it means I'd end up going around spouting off useless weird facts and having people call me Weirdy McWeirderton."

"Funny again Dean." Sam replied dryly. "Look, did Jimmy mention who his cousin is and if we can talk to her?"

"No, just said she'd be in sometime tonight. We may see her come say hey to him, or we can ask him later if she's around, or maybe look her up to see what info we can get out of her. She's probably some unattractive head in the clouds wannabe witch herself if she's into unmasking real witches from fake ones." Dean said as he finished his beer.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Amanda Logan sat at the table waiting to be served as she watched the two men sitting at the bar. She'd noticed them right away when she and her girls had first entered Jimmy's bar as one of them, the one with the short hair, had been watching them as they had entered. She could _feel _him watching; _feel_ his scrutiny. That was one of her many abilities; she could feel people. Literally _feel_ what they were feeling and thinking, especially when they focused on her and hers. She was known as an Empath, but to her she felt more than just one person's feelings. She felt everything; not just what the person was feeling for their self, but what they were feeling for others. And not just one person at a time, she could feel a roomful if she wasn't careful enough to block others.

Most times when men stared at any of her girls, she felt uncomfortable at their feelings as most men were, well men. But this one was different. She didn't feel in the least uncomfortable under his gaze; in fact she felt a tiny thrill at having him look at her. He was different; very different.

But she knew he wasn't interested in her; he was most likely interested in one of her girls. He was young, probably late twenties, although he was older than the other man sitting next to him. He had short dark blonde hair and was very good looking with sharp angular features and a sexy as hell five o'clock shadow going on. And Amanda was willing to bet her life he had green eyes; beautiful deep green soulful eyes. She couldn't see his eyes from this far away, but she knew eyes. That was part of her ability to feel when she was being watched, because it all came down to the eyes. A person couldn't hide his feelings from his eyes for too long; something always came through eventually.

She could also tell just by the vibrations she was getting that the two men were Hunters. Hunters were a breed she knew too well in her life, and normally they were to be avoided at all costs. Mostly. Normally she should be worried at the sight of two Hunters in Jimmy's, but for some strange reason she didn't feel any anxiety. She knew she should be extremely leery that they could be onto her and her daughter Ryon, but for whatever reason she had yet to understand, she didn't feel they were here for them. In fact, she was certain that they were here for the same reason she and Ryon were. A case; their case. They were here about the dead men found in the nearby woods.

Originally, she and Ryon had come to town for a family wedding, but when Amanda got wind of the deaths, she started scouting out the area and she felt that the person responsible was a witch. And not just any witch; she knew it was Eva. She had felt her the instant she'd gotten close to the bar. Eva lived in the woods behind Jimmy's bar and motel. Eva kept to the woods mostly, but had been known to come to town for things and when she did trouble always followed her.

Amanda had gone to her nephew Rick, a cop with the Dallas police department and had him fill her in on the facts of the cases. She knew once she had all the facts that she wasn't dealing with just any witch, she was dealing with a rogue witch. And Eva was a rogue witch; everyone in town knew her as a kook, but Amanda knew different. Amanda knew she couldn't let her get away with murder. She hated witches who used their powers for selfish or evil reasons, but a rogue witch was the worst; they were true evil; a very special kind of evil. They were as evil as the devil himself and they were the ones responsible for the misconception that all witches were devil-worshippers, because to become that evil, they had to sell their soul to the devil himself to attain such power.

That was why Amanda's group was there at the bar, Jimmy's Place. Jimmy Smith was a cousin of Amanda's and he'd told her that all the men had been regulars at his bar and that each had last been seen alive in his bar before they went missing. And it was the woods behind his bar and motel next door, that he also owned, where all the men had been found. The local sheriff had put a couple of deputies in the bar a couple nights a week to watch for anything unusual, but they had come up empty. Frisco, being a fairly small town, there wasn't enough men, time or money to afford to continue doing this for very long, so Jimmy was on is own in watching out for his clientele the best he could.

Jimmy had filled Amanda in on everything he knew about each of the men, but it wasn't much. He hadn't seen what happened to the men when they left his bar, and he said that none of them had met up with anyone inside the bar, so this left Amanda and Ryon with the job of trying to be one step ahead of the witch and scope out which of the male bar patrons fit the witch's type. A total of six men had gone missing and only five had been found so far. The last one was reaching the twenty-four hour mark at which time all of the men were discovered after going missing.

Amanda and Ryon along with Amanda's two nephews, Rick and Dusty, had spent the majority of the day searching the woods for the last man, but they had come up empty. Amanda knew the man had to somehow be found within the next five hours; so that was why she and Ryon were staying close to the bar. This was their second night here and they'd come with the rest of her girls, her family. This last man that went missing yesterday was there while Amanda and Ryon had been in the bar alone last night, but they had not seen anyone with him and Ryon had seen him get in his truck and drive away alone. What's more, Amanda had not felt a witch's presence in the bar or the surrounding area during the evening, which in and of itself was confusing her to no end.

So they'd gone back to their motel room that afternoon where Ryon had worked on their research and notes. Amanda hated research; that was Ryon's thing. Amanda was more about the actual witch hunt. The excitement of doing something physical to stop the one they were hunting helped her to feel like she'd done her job, saving someone also helped her to feel like she wasn't wasting her time in doing this job. They had hunted a lot of different things, but rogue witches were what they hunted best; they knew them; knew what they were capable of. Know they enemy Amanda's mother had always said, and what better enemy to know than witches?

Between Ryon's research and their questioning of Jimmy and other bar patrons, Amanda knew she was hunting a rogue witch who had something against men. A specific type of man; as all the victims were of the same general physical description along with being single and unattached. Which she felt meant that somehow this witch had been hurt by this type of man; maybe a father, brother, boyfriend or possibly a husband. She wasn't sure, but Amanda was positive why the witch was killing. The problem she was having was even though she knew Eva was involved, something was still off. Eva had never been married and had no family that anyone knew of.

This meant that there was something about Eva that she didn't know or there was someone else involved in this with her; and Amanda was also sure that whoever was involved was punishing these men for another reason that wasn't known by the police or anyone else. She was punishing men who all held secrets. Secrets similar to the man sitting at the bar who had been watching her as she entered. These men had all been Hunters.

That was what Amanda got when she looked at the photos of all the men. They all had been tall, with dark blonde to light brown hair and with green eyes and all had been Hunters. For some unknown reason right now, this witch was after a particular type of Hunter and not just because they were Hunters. Amanda hoped that whatever that reason was, that the guy at the bar did not fit that profile, because just looking at him made Amanda worry for him. She was truly worried that he would be next.

Amanda snapped back as she watched Brenda approaching their table with a full tray in her hands. Brenda appeared to be the only waitress working right now, Amanda thought as she watched the woman set her tray down on their table. Amanda took in the fact that currently the only people in the bar besides the two men at the bar and her table full of girls, were a couple at a nearby pool table and another couple at the bar opposite the two men, but she knew Jimmy's would be rockin' in another hour or so. It was the only bar in town.

"Hey, Bren, where's all your help?" Ryon asked the harried looking young woman setting two pitchers of beer on their table along with eight chilled glasses.

"That is the million dollar question. Terri and Beverly both are supposed to be here right now and Lloyd's AWOL too. He's supposed to be running the kitchen tonight. We've got a birthday party coming in later and Dad is beyond pissed right now." Brenda replied as she smiled at her cousins before moving on to clean up a nearby table.

Brenda was Jimmy's oldest and she helped him run the bar while her husband ran the motel. Her mother had died when she was a teenager and she'd helped her father raise her siblings and she'd become involved in the family businesses around the same time. They were very busy most of time what with not only being the only bar in town, but the only motel as well. Sure there was the lodge out off the highway, but it was only open during hunting season, and it currently was closed for remodeling. Amanda couldn't help wondering how did you remodel a hunting lodge? Put up new dead animals and give the wood finish a good polish?

Frisco wasn't a large town, but it did boast a beautiful natural lake and lots of wooded areas for hunting, fishing and camping. The town was rustic in a lot of ways, but they had their signs of civilization here and there. Most of the people who lived here worked here as well, and had all their lives. Most of the people who lived here were also related to Amanda in one way or another. Her father's side of the family boasted quite a few cousins for her as her father was the second oldest of thirteen children.

Amanda looked over at Jimmy standing behind his bar and waved at him. She noticed again that the man at the bar was still casting casual glances at her and her group of girls. He really was very good looking, Amanda would give him that. He had something about him that was drawing her to him. Too bad she wasn't his target of obsession.

"Look, you guys hang loose. I'm gonna go see if Jimmy may need some help tonight. Any of you want to volunteer to help him out?" Amanda asked them, smiling as they all ducked their heads. "Hey, if you help out, I bet he won't say a thing if you drink on the job?" She added as she got up chuckling at all of them.

"Hey, sign me up then!" Sara said laughing now.

"Yeah, me too." Lexie added. "I knew my Hooters gig would come in handy some day!"

Amanda laughed as all of them suddenly volunteered to 'help'. As she headed over to the bar to talk with Jimmy she noticed that he was now talking with the good looking Hunter. She couldn't shake this strong attraction she felt for the man, but he was definitely too young for her, she thought with a twinge of sadness at that. There was no way this guy was even thirty yet and that was a far cry from her forty-three years.

She knew she didn't look her age, but that wasn't the point. Oh well, she thought; she could have used a nice distraction from this case and by the looks of this guy he would definitely be a distraction; but he was a Hunter and she knew better than to ever get mixed up with a Hunter no matter how good looking he was.

In her experience, Hunters didn't understand that there was good and evil in all types of entities, just as in humans. Not all witches were bad, actually it was a very small percentage compared to the many other evils that walked this earth. But Amanda knew from past experience that Hunters never asked questions first before they struck. No; Hunters only complicated things.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Ryon – that guy at the bar is sure giving Aunt Mandy the eye and he's so hot!" Jennifer said aside to her cousin.

"Yeah, I noticed; and I'm positive mom noticed, too. But knowing her, she probably thinks he's giving one of us the eye; she'd never think in a million years that he could be looking at her. She'll probably find a way to tell him in no uncertain terms to back off and she'll try to put him in his place. Hey, betcha twenty bucks she tells him to back off in less than twenty minutes!" Ryon said taking a drink of her beer and watching her mother approaching the bar.

"You're on!" Jennifer said as the whole table of women turned to watch Amanda and the totally hot guy as he was watching Amanda coming his way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Jimmy, where's all your help?" Amanda asked her cousin as she came up to the bar.

"Don't even go there with me girl – Terri and Lloyd ran off to Vegas to get married and Beverly hitched a ride with them. I'm down two waitresses and my best line cook." Jimmy answered as he set a new beer in front of hot guy.

Amanda watched the man as he thanked Jimmy and turned to offer her a brilliant melt her pants off smile.

Oh my God, she thought; she could feel the heat start in the pit of her stomach and head directly south to stop just about where her who-haw started. This man was good. Yes, he was very good; and he knew it. And he was still giving her that damned gorgeous smile. Oh boy, and he does have green eyes; very beautiful deep mossy green eyes.

He may be a Hunter, but Amanda knew he was also definitely a good time just waiting to happen. A very good time. She relaxed a bit thinking he had no idea who she and Ryon were, but she knew he was probably wanting to hook up with one of her girls. No way he was looking at her the way she was thinking about him. She wasn't stupid; she knew guys his age didn't want to hook up with a woman her age. So she decided it would be a good idea for all involved if she stopped him before he made a move on any of her girls. After she talked to Jimmy.

She smiled back at the guy, but turned back to speak to Jimmy. "Okay, look we'll help you out. You go take over the kitchen and I'll have my girls Ryon, Lexie and Sara help Brenda wait tables. If we need more help, I'll have the others jump in."

"Yeah?" Jimmy asked. "That'd be awesome." Then his smile faltered. "Wait a minute – if I take over the kitchen, who's gonna run the bar?" He asked, his hands on his hips as he stared at her.

Amanda gave him her most brightest smile.

"Oh, no. You can't be serious. You are a terrible bartender." He protested. "You give the customer too much booze; you have no idea what rationing even means."

"Hey, I'm a great bartender who doesn't slack off on the booze. I make 'em just like I was taught; by an actual bartender. You remember the one, same guy who taught you, dude. And he always said that customers pay for a drink that's what they get." She said grinning. "Besides I'm not getting paid, so you can come out ahead on letting go of some of the booze; and in about an hour when the customers start pouring in this place, you're really gonna need me."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm thinking if you let her run the bar, you'll sell a lot more drinks, booze or no booze. I know I'd buy whatever she's selling." Hot guy said, smiling that mega-watt grin of his.

Jimmy scoffed at the guy while Amanda offered up her most brilliant melt his brain cells smile just for him. She could play this game too, she thought.

"Yeah, I bet you would, dude." Jimmy said to the guy. "Okay, fine; but try to budge the booze, cuz. I'm on a fixed income." He added, tossing her some aprons for the girls to wait tables.

"Yeah, yeah, _cuz._" Amanda drawled, muttering to herself. "Fixed income my ass; fixed as in 'fixin' to add to your income." She continued muttering as she gathered up the aprons and had Brenda take them to the girls; then Amanda walked around to the left end of the horseshoe shaped bar and flipped the counter break that let her get access behind the bar.

The whole time Amanda was muttering she missed the expression on Dean's face when he'd heard the two talking.

_Cuz? Dean thought. _No way, please God, say it ain't so, Dean begged as he watched the woman walk around behind the bar.

AN: Please read and review. I need to know what you think. Thanks so much!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Well Dean, looks like you found that 'unattractive head in the clouds wannabe witch' cousin of Jimmy's." Sam said quietly, chuckling as he watched Dean's face during the exchange between the bartender and the woman.

Dean had almost choked on his beer when he'd heard Jimmy call the woman 'cuz'. Then when she repeated it back, he knew they'd just seen the witch expert cousin. Man, he had not seen that one coming.

"Shut up, Sammy." Dean muttered watching as the woman went behind the bar and walked up to help another customer.

"You know, we really don't have the time for you to pick up a girl tonight anyway; especially our 'expert'. We just need to stick to the case right now." Sam whispered as he saw that Dean had not taken his eye off the woman since she'd gone behind the bar.

"Girl? Sam that is not a girl." Dean shot back. "That is much more than just a girl; besides you know me better than that. I would never mess up a hunt."

"Okay fine; but I'm gonna move over there to a table and research some more while you try and do your smooth talker thing and get whatever info you can from the 'not just a girl' witch expert."

"Really Sam?" Dean glared at Sam who was laughing out right at him now. "Fine, go do your geek boy think while I work my grown-up magic here."

"Grown-up magic? Man, that _woman _over there is gonna eat you alive." Sam said as he stood up and gathered his stuff.

Dean started to make a sarcastic remark, but after giving the woman another look, he realized that Sam was probably right. However, he would never admit that to Sam; so he just smiled and replied, "Whatever Sammy. Whatever."

Sam laughed at him and moved his stuff to a table located just behind their bar seats. He settled in as he opened his laptop and went to work.

Dean continued to watch the woman as he signaled her for another beer. Damn, she was hot. Too bad she was probably a witch, but if anyone could change his opinion of witches, he was willing to bet it was this woman. She had him at first sight and he knew she could very well be his downfall. Hell, but the thought of being with her actually brought a thrill to his heart and the he'd only felt that same thrill with one other woman; Cassie. Damn, he thought, she's good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amanda's eye was caught by the hot stranger now sitting alone at the bar pointing to his empty beer bottle. She walked over to him, putting on her best smile. As she was heading over, she saw him turn back to look at her girls still at their table, and she wavered a little bit worried that maybe her instincts were missing something here. But she still couldn't feel any negative energy coming off the guy so she continued over to him.

"Another one?" She asked him.

Dean smiled back, showing her his perfect white teeth and nodded in answer. "Please."

"Oh, please he says? My, but aren't you the polite young man. Your mother must be proud." Amanda said as she set a cold beer in front of him and tossed his empty.

Amanda couldn't help but notice how his smile faltered for just an instant at her words. For a second she thought maybe she had imagined it as his smile was back in place so quickly. But her instincts told her she had seen it and what's more she had felt it. This guy had something in his background that had hurt him and it had to do with his mother. She was getting the feeling that something bad had happened in this guy's life and it involved his family. She also noticed his friend had moved from the bar to a table and as attached to a laptop. The guy looked like Ryon when she got her geek on.

"I try." He replied as he took a drink of his new beer. "By the way, my name's Dean."

Amanda looked him over and thought about what he'd said. Yep, his mother was gone; she could feel that and she could feel that it was a very touchy subject for him. Damn it, now she wanted to mother him herself and that was not part of the plan. She could not feel sympathy for a Hunter; it just wouldn't be right. Yet this guy brought out the mother in her and she couldn't control her own feelings for him. Yeah, he had her the instant she'd seen that smile falter and she knew he'd probably be her downfall. Damn, she thought.

"Look Dean," She began as she rested her elbows on the bar in front of Dean. "Let's get something straight."

"Okay." Dean said solemnly. She was going to let him have it; put him in his place, as Sam would say.

Dean had been waiting for her to finally notice that he'd focused in on her and now she was gonna tell him to take a hike. He smiled inwardly at the dressing down he was about to get.

Amanda took a deep breath; she could feel the humor coming off him. He knew she was about to tell him to back off, and she itched to reach out and smack the smartass out of him. But she resisted the urge; for now. Probably because she knew she had fallen under his spell.

"I've noticed that you've been staring at my girls over there and I need to stop you right here before you go any farther." Amanda pointed to one girl seated at the table who had long blonde hair and was very pretty, but was obviously very young. "That one there is my great niece Kaitlyn, who is barely past jailbait age and is strictly off limits no ifs ands or buts about it." She pointed to another blonde woman with ample assets standing near the table tying on an apron to help wait tables. "That's my niece Sara, Kaitlyn's mother. She's married to my nephew who is a former wrestler and is currently a bailiff for the Johnson County, Missouri Judicial Court System; so obviously that means she's off limits, too."

Amanda then pointed to another very young girl at the table with short brown wavy hair and who was also very pretty. "That girl is my other great-niece Jaycie, who is currently engaged and getting married on Saturday; so she's most definitely a not go. The woman next to her with dark wavy hair is her mother and my other niece Jennifer. Jenn is married to my oldest nephew who is currently a sergeant with the Dallas PD K9 unit, so she's taken too."

She pointed to the last woman still seated at the table, a pretty woman with long dark brown almost black hair. "That's Miranda, a friend of the family and she's married with five kids, so I'm guessing she's a pass for you." She pointed to the last two girls heading over to take orders from two new tables of customers. "The one with long brown hair is my goddaughter Lexie; she's married with three month twin girls. The other one is with red hair is my daughter Ryon. Now Ryon's not married; not currently dating or in any attached at the moment; however she is strictly off limits because she has incredibly bad taste in men and I'm punishing her for that. She's not allowed to date anyone she meets in a bar, since her last two boyfriends were losers that she met in bars."

Amanda had been watching Dean throughout her speech and she had seen that he seemed to find her to be funny. He was finding it hard to hide the smile that kept creeping up on his lips. So not the reaction she'd been going for. "Look my daughter and I are just in town for Jaycie's wedding and to help out my cousin Jimmy with some… things. So no matter how good looking you are or how great your smile is, it ain't happening if you get my meaning."

Dean had been listening intently throughout her speech and he couldn't help but find the humor in it all. This woman had no idea hat the one he'd been watching was her. She thought he was only interested in one of the other girls. She actually didn't realize how beautiful she was and that guys would be staring at her just as much as any of the other girls with her. And that truly amazed Dean. He'd never and he meant never, met a woman who had no idea just how beautiful she was. Wow, he thought.

"You think I'm good-looking and have a great smile?" He asked her instead, gifting her once again with his killer dazzling smile.

Amanda blinked at his words. She had said that, hadn't she? Oh my, she hadn't even thought about what she had said to him before saying it; and what's more this guy was messing with her feeling something awful. She was beginning to miss things where he was concerned. He was messing with her mojo.

"Well yes, I guess I did say that, but I didn't mean…" She trailed off as she blushed slightly. What did she mean?

"Good." Dean said. "Now we're getting somewhere here; because I wasn't looking at any of your family, beautiful as they all are; I was looking at you." He said as he watched her now to see if he could unnerve her again and he was rewarded with another blink.

Amanda was taken aback by that. He was definitely messing with her mojo, because she had not seen that coming. "Me?" She squeaked out. What was happening to her here?

She had not seen that coming at all. She was beginning to think she was losing her power to read and feel people. This guy was not giving her the vibes he had when she first spotted him watching her and her girls enter the bar. How could he have gotten past her barriers? She had always been so careful; she drummed it into Ryon's head constantly to be on the alert no matter hot the guy was and here she was forgetting her own warnings and now this guy had wormed his way into her psyche.

"Yes, you. While all of your girls are very pretty, it's you I'm interested in getting to know." Dean dropped his smile and gave her his special Dean Winchester look.

The look that out did Sam's puppy dog look any day. The look that he kept under wraps because he never wanted to let anyone see his true self. This look told her that he was interested and he was looking for someone to just listen to and have listen to him. This look opened his heart up and could very well make him vulnerable. This look was all about letting someone in to see him and he never let anyone in.

Amanda watched as Dean looked at her and she knew in that instant she hadn't lost her power; it had just stepped away for a minute to let her be herself and to see this guy for who he really was. Her power was still there, because she suddenly felt an intense urge to reach out an grab this guy by his shirt front and kiss the living bejesus out of him. She was shocked at how intense the urge really was and she knew she couldn't logically do that, so she did the only thing she could. She blinked again and stared at him open-mouthed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Mom, I need three taps, two long necks, a Hurricane and a Tom Collins." Ryon said approaching the bar and setting her tray down as she rattled off her order.

But her mother didn't seem to hear her as she didn't move. Ryon had noticed her mother talking to the hot guy as she approached the bar and she figured she'd won the bet. Checking her watch it had been exactly thirteen minutes since she and Jennifer had made the bet and by the looks of the two, the hot guy had told her he wasn't looking at anyone but her. This was awesome, Ryon thought.

"Mom?" Ryon tried again, snapping her fingers at her mother. The hot guy seemed to be amused with her mother's stance. "Hey, earth to Mom! Amanda Harper McBride! Are you in there?" She yelled at her mother.

That did the trick; Amanda snapped out of it and turned to look at her daughter. "What?" She asked dazed.

Ryon gave her mother a roll of her eyes as she repeated her drink order and when her mother quietly turned to fill it, Ryon turned to look at the guy at the bar. "Hi. My name's Ryon and I hope you didn't disconnect all of my mother's brain cells." She smiled as she extended her hand to the man.

Dean looked at the hand and he noticed Sam from the corner of his eye get up and walk over to stand behind Dean. "Dean… Dean Malone. And I think I just shocked her a bit. Something tells me she'll get over that soon enough and be back to tell me about it." He smiled his best smile as he shook her hand. When he heard Sam clear his throat behind him, he smiled and added, "This is my baby brother Sammy."

"Sam." Sam corrected giving Dean a nasty look and reaching out to shake Ryon's hand too.

Ryon looked up from the hot guy to the giant teddy bear of a guy with the most amazing hazel eyes and brown mop of hair she'd ever seen on a guy. He was adorable. She'd missed seeing him earlier he must have been in the bathroom or something. "Sam Malone, that's funny." She said smiling at the tall hunky teddy bear.

"Yeah. I still hear all kinds of jokes about it, and I don't even have a bar or anything wildly fun like that." He said smiling back at her.

Dean smiled as Sam moved around him and began talking with Ryon while the woman, Amanda Harper McBride, came over with the drinks for Ryon. Nice, Dean thought. Amanda, he liked it; it fit her.

"Ryon here hon." Amanda said as she pushed the tray of drinks to her daughter.

"Thanks Mom." Ryon said as she winked at Sam and took the tray and hurried off.

"Mom? Amanda Harper McBride? Can I call you Amanda? Or maybe Mandy?" Dean asked innocently with a twinkle in his eye.

Amanda couldn't help but laugh at his teasing tone and how gorgeous his eyes were when they twinkled. "Yes, Mom. Ryon is my daughter – I think I mentioned that before in my little speech? And no one outside of family gets to call me Mandy. Amanda will do; for now." She said as she handed Sam another beer and took his empty bottle and tossing it in the nearby trashcan. "And you Sam, you need to watch yourself. I'm very protective over my daughter." She tried to sound stern, but she couldn't help but give him a smile. She liked Sam; he was a big St. Bernard puppy with those eyes and that hair. She thought he was much more innocent than his brother.

Sam smiled back at her in thanks and headed back to the table and his laptop. Dean had his hands full with this one, he thought. She was the female equivalent of Dean. He wished them both good luck while he kept an eye on Ryon as she flitted around the bar.

"So, I have to work up to get to call you Mandy?" Dean asked with a wicked grin.

"Maybe. I'll let you know… Dean." She replied with an equally wicked grin just before she turned away to help another customer.

AN: Please someone supply me with some reviews! I want to know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Amanda finished up the last of the glasses in the sink under the bar as she watched Dean and Sam sitting at the table going over something on Sam's laptop. Whatever it was really intrigued the two of them. She couldn't help wondering again if they were here for the same reason she and Ryon were. She'd meant to talk to Dean to find out what she could on why they were here, but the bar had been invaded by practically everyone in town, so she'd been kept pretty busy and Jenn had jumped in to help her pull drinks for the waitresses.

She was hot and tired and her feet hurt, so she really wasn't in the mood to go witch hunting or information hunting for that matter. She really hoped no one went missing tonight because all she wanted to do was get back to her motel room next door and fall into bed. Jimmy had closed the kitchen an hour ago and had just finished cleaning up in there while Amanda had finished the glasses. She heard Jimmy call out 'last call' while she wiped down the sink and grabbed some lotion for her water wrinkled hands.

Jennifer came over to her as she passed her on her way to the kitchen with the last of the bar's trash for Jimmy to take to the dumpster, when she saw Dean come up to the bar and wink at Amanda. Jennifer smiled to herself, best twenty bucks she'd ever lost if it meant aunt Mandy finally met a nice guy for a change. She deserved to meet someone nice and she really hoped Dean was nice to her aunt.

"Better grab that one before word gets around town. By tomorrow night, I guarantee every available female in town is going to be in this bar to try and catch the hot guy." Jenn said to Amanda as she slipped past her.

Amanda blushed slightly then felt childish. Grown mature women did not blush. She looked at Dean again and that smile of his hit her hard in her...oh God, she was so going to hell thinking like that. What was she thinking anyway, she thought as she blushed even deeper. She heard Jenn laughing softly as she went through the swinging door to the kitchen. Amanda turned and threw her dish towel at her catching her on the shoulder. Jenn just grabbed the towel and tossed it back and kept right on laughing. Amanda smiled as she watched the woman go.

She walked over to Dean and hoped she wasn't still blushing, but figured she'd blame it on the work if he noticed. "Whatcha need Dean?" She asked him watching that gorgeous smile of his. Yep, she was so going to hell.

"I was just wondering if you might know of anyone who knows the woods around here behind the bar and motel? I mean my brother and I are here on a case and we're not familiar with this area." He said as he slipped onto the barstool across from her.

"A case?" Amanda felt something stiffen in her at his words. Why did that bother her? She had suspected they could be here for a case, so why was it bothering her?

"Yeah. My brother and I are with the state police and we were on vacation here, in Dallas actually, when we got the call about the men that have gone missing then later found dead; and since they were all found in the woods, we thought maybe that would be a good place to start our investigation. Do you think maybe your cousin or someone could guide us out there? You know just to take a look around?"

"Ummm, well Jimmy knows these woods like the back of his hand, but he's pretty busy with the motel and bar," Amanda watched Dean and realized that if they were going to get themselves involved in this, it might be better for her to keep an eye on them. Especially since something about the two going into the woods bothered her so much. "But I've spent almost every weekend and summer I could here in the woods with my cousins when I was growing up. I might be able to show you around some later today."

Dean gave her that killer smile of his again and Amanda thought oh shit, stick a fork in me cause I am so done. Damn I am my own worst enemy, she thought. Where was her self control?

"That would be awesome. So what, about ten sound okay? Meet here at the bar maybe?" He asked as he reached out a hand and touched hers. He never took his eyes from hers.

Amanda felt her insides turning to pudding at his touch. "Yeah…sounds good…I just need to… uh…" She was stammering. She knew she was losing brain cells by the second at his touch.

Dean knew he was getting to her, because she was getting to him. He was feeling something here he'd never felt before. Not even Cassie had made him feel this way. "Are you staying nearby?" He asked, trying to keep his mind on topic, but finding he couldn't help himself. He was seriously attracted to her and he was Dean Winchester after all.

"Yes we are. We're at the motel here for the weekend." Ryon said as she walked up to the bar and noticed Dean was rubbing her mother's hand. She smiled at her mother's reaction to Dean.

Sometimes she knew she made mistakes over guys, but Ryon was young and she just wanted to meet someone nice. She had caused her mother a lot of grief over her choices in men, but she was on a changed path now especially since…well, just since she'd decided that change was necessary. She would never have gotten out of that situation if it wasn't for her mother and the fact that she loved and cared about her and so Ryon knew her mother deserved to be happy for once.

"Dean, why don't you walk my mom back to her room while the rest of us close up here? I'm sure she's pretty tired and I don't want her walking alone, even this close." Ryon suggested with a mischievous glint in her eye. If she got her mother and Dean in the same place and alone, she knew her mother would be a goner; hell by the looks of things, she already was.

Amanda turned to look at her daughter. _Really Ryon? Could you possibly be anymore annoying? I mean, why don't you just come right out and tell him to take me to bed? _Amanda thought to her daughter, knowing she heard every word.

_Well, I could still say that if you'd like. Look Mom, he's hot and you are not old. You need to face that fact no matter how hard you try to make yourself seem eighty. He really likes you, so go for it. Besides, with you out of the way I can work on Sam. _Ryon smiled at her mother.

Communicating telepathically had come in handy a lot during their recent cases and Ryon loved it. Except when her mother was able to get inside her head and mess with her. Like all mothers could, telepathically or not, and normally her mother was queen expert at doing it, but right now she was not thinking straight.

Dean was watching the two women as they seemed to just be staring each other down. "Am I missing something here or are you two 'thinking' at each other?" He asked, jokingly.

_Ryon, they're Hunters. You need to keep that in mind, and not let them know anything about the family or us. Got it? Keep your cool and don't tell them anything. I think they're here for the same reason we are, the case; our case._

_Yes Mom, I got it; I pegged them as Hunters too. I'm almost as good as you; I may not be as quick, but you taught me, so I know how things work._

_Really? Then do you also know that Sam is like you?_

_What do you mean? _Ryon looked confused.

_Sam is psychic; like you. He just doesn't understand his gift yet. Or how to use it. _Amanda knew where Sam's gift came from too, but she left that info out, because she knew that was Sam's business and it wouldn't affect anything Amanda felt about him, since she sensed him to basically good at heart.

_No I didn't know that, but now that I do, I'll still be fine. I think both of these guys are good guys; that I can feel. And I know that's what you feel about them too, or else you would have gotten us both out of here at the first sight of them. _Ryon paused. _I think they can help us if we just let them. Mom, I know I'm new at this, but I can't ignore my feelings anymore than you can and this guy Dean, he likes you. And not like a one night stand thing; he like really likes you._

Amanda smiled. _I know. _She turned to look at Dean who was still watching them and she gave him a small weak smile at his questioning look. _I know and that's what bothers me. I'm too old for him; hell he could almost be my son; if I'd started early._

_But the key here is he's not your son and you are not old, so stop acting like it. Talk to him, kiss him, hell have mad passionate gorilla sex if you want, but do what you want; enjoy yourself for one second. Have some fun; let go. 'Cause he is definitely fun! I'm positive you won't get hurt, at least not intentionally._

_Maybe…_Amanda thought about it…_maybe. _She looked Ryon in the eye. She was scared. _But that's what scares me. What if he's too good to be true?_

_Take a chance. You'll never know unless you take a chance._

"Okay…so no one's talking here, but I get the feeling a lot is being said anyway. Maybe I'll just sit here and watch the dust bunnies floating through the air while you guys get your mother-daughter Vulcan mind meld thing over with." Dean said as he smiled at the two of them. "Besides, I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity to be a gentleman and walk a pretty lady home."

Amanda smiled a more genuine smile as she turned back to look at Dean. She was about to answer him when Brenda came running into the bar screaming and crying. She had just left to go find her husband Ray, and head home for the night

"He's gone! Oh God, someone took my Ray, Amanda! He's gone!" Amanda pulled away from Dean and rushed out from behind the bar to gather the distraught woman in her arms. "He's gone!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jimmy came running from the kitchen at the sound of his daughter screaming. He came rushing up to Amanda and Brenda, and reached out to touch Brenda's shoulder.

Sam got up from his table to come stand by Dean who had gotten up from his bar stool when Amanda rushed out from behind the bar. Dean started toward Amanda when suddenly the door to the bar opened again and this time four men walked in. Dean took in the appearance of the men and slowly took a step closer to Amanda. These guys were not good news and Dean could feel that deep down to his bones. His Hunter instincts told him there was something really wrong with these men.

Dean's hand went to the small of his back for his gun, but after not finding it, he remembered; it was still in the Impala. They'd come in to just talk to Jimmy. They hadn't expected any trouble in the bar. But Dean was never completely unarmed. Dean always carried his favorite blade with him, but right now he wasn't able to reach it without drawing attention towards himself.

Sam had felt the same as Dean when he first saw the four men come in and stand in formation facing them. Brenda, Jimmy and Amanda were closer to them and that worried Sam as much as it did Dean. Ryon came to stand next to Sam and the others were all sitting at a table by the kitchen waiting to go home. They all knew something wasn't good with these men.

Amanda slowly released her hold on Brenda and handed her slowly over to Jimmy as she kept her eyes on the men standing a mere two feet from her. She felt their evil even before she looked them over. But once she made eye contact with the first man closest to her, she knew. They were men alright, but they were men being possessed by demons.

"Hey guys. I'm sorry, but we're about to close up for the night." Jimmy said. He could tell from Amanda's reaction to the men that she was not comfortable with the four strangers. He couldn't see anything wrong with them, but he knew better than to ignore Amanda. He slowly pulled Brenda to him and took a couple hesitant steps back from the men putting himself and Brenda closer to Sam and this allowed Dean to step closer to Amanda.

"Are you sure?" The first man asked Jimmy, but he looked at Amanda.

Amanda met his gaze head on. All of the men were dressed in casual clothing; jeans, t-shirts and boots, but this one seemed anything but casual in the way he was carrying himself. Amanda quickly dubbed him the leader by the vibes she was getting. He was the one in control of the others.

"Yes." Amanda answered for Jimmy as she felt Dean take another step towards her. She put her hand up behind her back to stop him. "It's okay Dean. These guys will just have to hit the bar in the next town. Their leader here can just move them all on down the road." She added never taking her eyes off the leader.

Dean stopped where he stood behind Amanda simply because she'd stopped him, but he was close enough to her to let the men know that he was there. And that he wasn't moving.

"Not even one drink?" The second man next to the leader asked as he gave her a toothless grin. "We're pretty thirsty."

The whistle through his toothless grin made him sound like he was wheezy and not really all that scary, but Amanda knew better. She dubbed this guy weasel, 'cause he looked like one. He was small with greasy hair and small beady eyes. He also had a very strong smell of decay about him and not just because of his poor oral care. He was dead; the only thing keeping him on his feet was the demon inside him. She could smell the decay wafting off him and it was sickening.

She knew all of the men were dead. She could tell by the smell from all of them and it was one thing to have a human possessed by a demon, because the humans could try and fight back, but when the human host was dead, then the demon was in total control. And that was never good.

"Nope sorry; no drinks. I think I should call you weasel, 'cause your kind of weasely." Amanda said to the second guy. "Sam could you make sure Ryon and the other girls are safe?" She said to Sam never taking her eyes off the men. "Jimmy, take Brenda with Sam. Make sure they're all safe." Amanda could feel Dean right behind her. "Dean I really hope you and Sam know what we're dealing with here."

The men in front of her ignored her instructions to the others. They weren't there for any of them anyway. They were sent for just one person and he stood right there next to the woman. "The others can go." The leader said.

"Good; 'cause they were going whether you approved or not." Amanda replied. She slowly moved forward to stand closer to the leader. "You and your friends here really should have moved on down the road for your drinks 'cause you know you aren't gonna be leaving here now, don't you?" She asked watching him, but keeping everyone on her radar; she was aware of where everyone was even if she couldn't see them.

Sam moved slowly pulling Ryon alone with Jimmy and Brenda towards the kitchen where he made sure they and the others were safe. Ryon didn't want to go, but she knew her mother would kill her if she didn't, so she went; but she stayed close to the door keeping it cracked so she could see what went down. Sam whispered something to her just before she entered the kitchen and she nodded in answer and pointed to the bar as he turned away from her.

Sam moved back into the room with Jimmy following him. Jimmy quietly moved behind the bar while focus was on Sam who went to stand just behind Dean who had taken another step forward and was now standing next to Amanda.

Dean knew that what they were facing here was not human, and he hoped Sam had that figured out too. He wasn't sure what these men were just yet, but he knew evil when he saw it. Until he figured things out, he'd follow Amanda's lead; for whatever reason he could not explain he was putting this in her hands. For now. He knew she knew something that he and Sam didn't, so he would just back her up until the time came when he would take the lead.

Dean knew Sam had placed himself with his back against the bar and directly behind him and Amanda and that jimmy was behind the bar. He hoped there were weapons stashed back there.

"It don't matter whether they stay or go – we're not here for any of them." The last man in line spoke this time.

Amanda looked the man up and down. He was tall and gangly looking and kind of resembled an uncoordinated baboon. "Okay, if you say so." She replied to him and decided to think of him as monkey boy. That left the third man; she dubbed him #3 in her thoughts. She smiled to herself. Good, she thought. Everyone now has a name in my book. Let the party begin.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"I know who you are here for and you can't have him. He's off limits; in fact he's already spoken for. He's mine, so she will never be able to get her hands on him." Amanda now knew what it was that had been nagging her all evening about Dean and Sam. "She can't have him; she has already taken too many and it stops here. If she wants him that badly, then she will have to come to me and take me out first. And she knows she can never beat me at this game; I am more powerful than her at this so I guess that's why she won't come herself. Instead she sends her minions to do her dirty work for her. I had expected as much." Amanda said as she took a protective step closer to Dean.

"Yes, she did send us, but we take what she wants and she will get what she wants here." The leader said. "But she wants no fight with you."

"That's what I thought." Amanda replied. "But if you try to take my stuff, she will have one hell of a fight on her hands. I don't back down and she knows that. You try and do anything, and I mean anything, then it will be war." Amanda sent a thought to Eva who she knew had to be close by to control her demons. _Dean Winchester is mine and you cannot have him. It stops here Eva and you know I will end this one way or another if you don't stop. I'm coming for you and you cannot hide from me. Let Ray go and stay away from Dean, because if you don't you know I will kill you. I. Will. Kill. You._

"And you want us to go back to her and tell her that?" Weasel guy asked laughing at the thought.

Amanda turned to stare him down. "No."

"No?" He asked confused.

"No. She already knows that. She only sent you to buy her some time to take care of her last victim. But it won't work, she knows that even if she kills Ray, I will find her and I will take her out. And she knows she can't have you kill me, because I'm tied to her and if I die, she dies."

Dean turned to look at Amanda. What was she saying? He turned to look at Sam and was comforted to see him at his back. And what's more, Sam held two blades in his hand hiding them between himself and Dean. Dean wasn't able to see much, but he could swear they seemed to look like they were gold blades instead of the regular steel or silver of most hunting knives. Well, it didn't matter, a knife was a knife and he was glad Sam had thought of weapons.

That's my boy, Dean thought. He turned back to the men just in time to see the one dubbed weasel reach inside his jacket and remove a blade of his own. Dean felt his heart in his stomach at the close quarters of this bar for a fight, especially with Amanda in the middle of it all. He took a small step backwards to Sam who placed a blade in Dean's hand which he held out behind his back. Dean then worked to maneuver his brother out of the way, back into the shadows; out of harm's way.

But Sam refused to cooperate with him; he wanted to fight. Dean knew Sam could hold his own in one on one fights, but there were four of them and that meant Dean had to take out at least three, because there was no way he was letting Amanda have anything to do with a physical fight either. No matter what things she was saying.

"What about the rest of you? Any of you got a blade or two you want to share, 'cause it doesn't seem fair that you get all the weapons here." Dean said to the men as a group.

And in that moment, Dean lost all sense of reality. He saw the leader reach behind him and pull a gun from the waistband of his jeans and he clearly heard the safety click off the gun. He ignored the rest of the men for the moment as he focused on the leader and the weasel guy, weighing their threat level. He was thinking how he was going to get the gun from the leader and keep the knife from Amanda when Sam suddenly drew the men's attention towards himself by grabbing a beer bottle from the bar and with a shout slamming it against the ledge of the bar, breaking the bottom off and making him self an impromptu weapon.

As Sam was diverting the men's attention towards himself, he reached out and placed the second blade in Amanda's waiting hand. Sam turned to focus on the last man, the one Amanda called monkey boy… wait Sam thought. How did he know that? She'd never said that out loud. But before he could ponder that anymore, Amanda was drawing attention to herself by speaking.

"We gonna do this or what?" She replied dryly bringing her blade around to face down the leader on her own. She gently but firmly planted herself between Dean and the leader to let Dean know he wasn't going to be facing this one. Besides she knew Dean didn't completely understand that they were dealing with demons; he did seem to know that they were after him though. She could read that in Dean's demeanor towards the men. She could see it in his actions, his stance. He was going to fight or die. He didn't really seem to care if he lived or died here, just as long as he fought.

Amanda knew Eva wanted Dean and that was why these men were here. They were sent to take Dean and so Amanda knew she had to protect him at all costs whether he wanted it or not. She sent another thought to Eva to try one last time. _It's now or never, Eva. This is your last chance to back off and end this._

Then suddenly Amanda was stricken with a deep feeling of panic. _It's not me Amanda. Believe me when I say I am not the one doing this. _Eva was telling her that she was innocent? What the hell? Amanda hesitated then as she tried to figure out this new revelation. Amanda knew it had to be Eva, who else could it be?

_There is nothing you can do to stop me, Amanda. Dean Winchester is mine. Come to me if you dare. Come to me if you want to save him. _Amanda heard the woman as clearly as if she were standing directly in front of her… and not in the bar's kitchen. The voice was coming from… God, no!

Amanda had somehow made a mistake about Eva and now her daughter was in the kitchen with the woman who was really responsible for this.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean didn't completely understand why Amanda was trying to block him from the leader, but he couldn't stop and think about that right now. As the leader raised his gun and pointed it at Amanda during her confusion, Dean didn't stop to think as he moved on instinct alone. His knife came up and as he lunged forward, he gripped the man's gun arm with his free hand and he drove the bland of his knife deep into the man's chest. The man cried out and dropped his gun, his hands going to the handle of the knife that protruded from his chest.

That alone was enough to know the man would die, but then suddenly as the man crumpled to the floor of the bar, it looked as if there was a fire burning from within him just before he died. Dean didn't have time to question what had just happened as he turned to see Sam swing at the last man and catch him with the broken beer bottle in the neck forcing the man back as he gripped the wound in his neck in an effort to stop the flow of blood.

Dean was slightly shocked at the level of Sam's violence towards the man and he watched Sam grab a nearby chair and raise it high over his head to bring it crashing down on the man's back causing him to collapse to the floor still clutching at his wounded throat.

Dean caught sight of weasel guy moving in his side vision so Dean moved to grab Amanda around the waist and pull her back from the man's path as he was just about to lunge at her with his knife raised. Amanda fought Dean's grip and swung out with her own blade and thrust it into the man's right thigh severing an artery. The man fell to the floor and convulsed with the same inner firelight as the first man before dying.

The third man made to reach for Sam when a shot rang out in the room that took everyone by surprise, especially the third man. Jimmy stood behind the bar holding a shotgun that was still smoking from both barrels as he'd unloaded them in the third man's chest. The man went down; hard with the same inner fire burning through out his whole body.

Amanda was still fighting against Dean's hold and she finally managed to pulled free; she rushed over to the weasel guy and grabbed her knife still lodged in his thigh. She needed to get to the kitchen; to Ryon, but Dean reached out and grabbed a hold of her again. During their scuffle when all attention was on Jimmy and Dean with Amanda, no one saw monkey guy get up from the floor and grab an empty whiskey bottle from a nearby table and with his bloody neck wound still pumping blood down his throat and chest, the demon-possessed man advanced on Dean and Amanda.

Dean's only warning something was coming was the look of surprise in Amanda's eyes and that didn't give Dean much time, but he was able to turn slightly so that when the man brought the bottle crashing down, he only caught Dean on the left side of his head instead of a full blow to his skull.

Dean felt the hit throughout his whole body. The impact shook him all the way to his toes as he lost his hold on Amanda and he sank to his knees. He felt himself falling forward as he tried to keep himself from going down face first on the hard wooden floor. Amanda reached out and threw her arms around Dean's chest trying to keep him upright.

"Jimmy! It's not Eva; it's Brenda!" Amanda yelled to her cousin, as she continued trying to hold onto Dean.

Jimmy looked at Amanda like she was crazy, but he knew she wasn't. Deep down, he just knew. He blinked as he saw the monkey guy trying to pull the knife from weasel guy's hands. Jimmy grabbed another shotgun as he ran from behind the bar and tossed it to Sam. "Aim for the heart!" He yelled to him before he disappeared into the kitchen.

"Sam! He's a demon! Shoot! The pellets are marked." She yelled at Sam as he caught the gun in mid air.

Sam brought the shotgun up just as the man turned to face him with the knife in his bloody grip. Sam did not hesitate; he fired both barrels at the man and watched as the man froze, his inner fire burning brightly before he fell to the floor dead.

_Ryon! It's Brenda! _Amanda said to her daughter. She couldn't leave Dean now. He was falling into her and he was a lot heavier than he looked. She sank to her knees facing him now as it took all her strength just to keep him upright on his knees. His eyes were kind of glassy looking but she could see he was trying his best to stay conscious.

Amanda held onto her knife that she'd managed to pull from weasel guy's leg just before Dean had grabbed her again. She was holding onto the blade while she was trying to hold onto Dean and knew she needed to let it go so she could get a better grip on him, but she also knew this was the only weapon she had access to that would kill a demon.

"What did you do to my boys?" Came the booming voice of a new stranger that no one had seen enter the bar during the battle.

The man grabbed a handful of Amanda's hair and pulled her head back in his painful grip and Amanda found herself looking up into the silvery grey eyes of an older man with a gun in his freed hand held against her right temple. The pain from his grip in her hair was too much and Amanda cried out when her head was pulled even farther back. She felt her grip on her blade slacking as well as her hold on Dean. She could do nothing but look up at the man holding her and see his demon face just beneath his human features.

Sam looked around for another weapon, but before he could find something, he saw Dean grab Amanda's knife from her failing grip and somehow find the strength to ram the blade deep in the man's chest just under his breast bone.

It had taken all of Dean's energy to push the blade into the man's chest from where he knelt on the floor in Amanda's grip, but he'd done it. But now as the man was falling to the floor he still had a hold of Amanda by the hair and he was pulling her with him, and away from Dean's only source of support.

Amanda fell onto the man as he went down and as she lost her grip on Dean, she used her new position to pull the blade out of the man's chest and ram it home again… and again… finally the man let go of her as the life drained from him.

Amanda quickly crawled back and reached out for Dean who was swaying on his knees trying to keep from falling too.

"Mandy?" He whispered, his voice straining to be heard.

He blinked once twice then Amanda threw her entire self at him just in time. She was able to keep him from falling to the floor by using her body to support him.

Dean's face was buried somewhere in Amanda's chest and he couldn't help thinking to himself, this was awesome. But instead of saying anything even remotely Dean-like, he instead slowly raised his head and whispered, "Sammy?" He had to know… had to find Sam. Where was he? Dean realized it was getting harder to focus on anything as he tried to move his head around from Amanda's breasts.

"Hey hey Dean… it's okay; Sam's okay. He's here." Amanda said as she looked around for Sam while trying to keep Dean's head out of her cleavage. "Dean, you really need to stop using your face to try and get inside my shirt." She tried humor; she needed to keep him awake.

She felt Dean trying to smile at that. "Can't help it… you're… you're s-soff…"He slurred weakly.

Amanda tried to locate Sam and thanked God when he was suddenly there, helping her by pulling Dean's dead weight off her. Taking some of Dean's weight as his own.

Dean wanted to protest, but when his fuzzy brain realized he was seeing three Sams floating in front of him, he thought it best to keep his mouth shut. He was having a hard enough time trying to focus. Light and sound was suddenly flooding his brain and he was quickly hit with a huge feeling of nausea as he felt the bile rising in the back of his throat. He swallowed convulsively trying to keep it at bay; he so did not want to throw up on Amanda right now, 'cause that could wreck his chances of hooking up with her later on.

"Dean! Stay with me man!" Sam yelled as he pulled Dean back against his chest to keep him from falling back onto Amanda again. "Hang on, we're gonna get you some help."

Something wet and sticky was running into Dean's eyes and he tried to wipe at it with his hand, but his hand wasn't moving as fast as he wanted it to. Clarity was beginning to cut through his fogginess somewhat, but he was still having trouble getting his brain to communicate things to his body.

"M'okay, just need… I'm fine. Juss… nee some… help up." Dean slurred again.

"Man you are so far beyond okay right now… you're in bad shape Dean." Sam said as he clutched Dean tightly to him in a feeble attempt to ground himself; to hold onto his brother both physically as well as mentally. "You're hurt and you're bleeding Dean… a lot." He knew head wounds could bleed like crazy, but this was a lot of blood.

"…kay… then lemme go, Sam." Dean said softly.

Sam freaked at the words. "What?! No way Dean! You cannot leave me!" Fear now coming out front and center in Sam's voice. _Dean could leave him; not now. No way._

It took Dean a couple seconds to understand what Sam was panicking over. "No… I mean… lemme go… back to Amanda's… to her… she's sof…" Dean smirked up at Sammy.

"I think Dean wants to play the hurt hero so he can get back inside my clothes." Amanda replied softly as she grabbed a bar towel from the top of the bar. "I'm not normally that easy Dean, but since girls do love a hero, I'm gonna make an exception here." She added as she placed the towel to Dean's left temple. At his wince to the pain the pressure she was applying caused, she couldn't help herself when she added, "And I do love a hero Dean. Thank you." And she moved to sit on the floor indicating for Sam to lower Dean into her lap.

"You can lay here Dean, while I send Sam for some water and a first aid kit." She added as she maneuvered him into her lap with Sam's help.

But Sam made no move to leave Dean's side after moving him. He continued to watch his brother as he lay there with his eyes blinking open and closed.

"Cool." Dean said as he smiled weakly up into Amanda's beautiful green eyes.

"I'm not _that _easy, Dean." Amanda chuckled at that smile of his. God the man was unbelievable. He could be dying here, and he was still flirting shamelessly.

Dean looked up at the woman and thought again about how beautiful she was. "I know; Mandy." He answered gently taking in her face as he used the nickname she had yet to actually give him permission to use; for the second time. She was still looking a little fuzzy to him, but at least he was only seeing one of her. Which he decided may or may not be a good thing.

He tried to keep focused on her, but the steady pounding in his head was becoming unbearable and he knew he had a concussion. It felt like he had the Pacific Ocean pounding away at the beaches during high tide inside his skull; and the nausea was so much worse now. He slowly closed his eyes to try and keep the sick feeling at bay.

Ryon came running into the bar to her mother's side as she took in the sight of Dean in her lap. "Brenda ran out the back door as the fight started. Jimmy and Jennifer took off after her. I'm sorry Mom, I didn't know."

"It's okay; it's my fault not yours. I was so focused on Eva; I don't know how I could have been fooled. I really thought it was her. I never suspected Brenda."

"It happens Mom."

"Not to me; I never make a mistake like that."

Sam was barely listening to the two women as he reached out to gently nudge his brother. "Dean, wake up; open your eyes dude…please."

"I'mmm…I'm awake Sammy. Jus…restin' my eyes… lovin' the feel of a woman under me… me… again." Dean murmured with a slow grin as he gently opened his eyes. "And… listening to Mandy and Ryon… they know a lot more… more about this than we do… about thissss… hunt." He added trying to focus on Amanda.

"Well… yeah kind of." She answered evasively.

"But we didn't come here expecting to find a case. It just came out after we got here." Ryon explained for her.

Amanda bent down to Dean and said. "That's true, but we didn't hide that fact. Not like you and Sam, right Dean…Winchester?" At seeing the surprise on both Sam and Dean's faces, she added, "We'll talk about that later, young man. When you're able to argue back without passing out, got it?" She said trying use her best mom voice, but she was smiling as she bent down and gently pressed her lips to his forehead.

Dean was surprised by this, but he just smiled back. "Yes ma'am. But I think…gonna take a little nap firs…" He said as he saw the dark spots in the corners of his vision quickly merging into full on blackness and he allowed himself to succumb to the black emptiness.

AN: Thank you to everyone who has been reading and I hope everyone is liking it!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_As Sam and Dean walked out of the diner and headed for the Impala, Dean remembered bumping into one of the two big guys coming out of the alley near where he'd parked his baby. It seemed innocent enough; Dean apologized, albeit a little leery considering what the two boys had just come away from. He tried to side step the bigger guy, but he knew something was wrong the instant before he was grabbed from behind and felt himself being pulled backwards towards a waiting van parked on the opposite side of the alley. _

___Dean could see Sam out of the corner of his eye as he yelled at whoever had a hold of him. "What the hell?! Let go, asshole!"_

_Sam could hear Dean, but he was being manhandled by the two guys they'd seen coming from the alley. Dean realized all too quickly that while they were working to subdue Sam, only one had a grip on Dean, a mysterious third man. And that's also when he realized that these guys had severely underestimated them, because if they'd known who they had here, they'd have also know Sam was not their biggest threat simply because of his larger size. Dean was._

_But before Dean could work his magic, he felt the jab of something sharp hit him in the back of his neck, and then everything went fuzzy. They had not underestimated the Winchesters; they'd just taken down their biggest threat with something so simple. _

_Dean could barely make out the two men still holding onto Sam and he couldn't hear the shouting coming from Sam anymore. He didn't even feel it when he was thrown into the side of the paneled van._

_He could only take in the fact that the van he was thrown into was not carpeted; it was a work van with metal flooring. And just as he felt something big and heavy hit him in the back of his legs, Dean had something small, shiny and dangerous pressed into the right side of his face. He tried to focus on the gun, but his vision was swimming and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion._

_"S-smmy?" He tried to get out before everything went black._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam was sitting by the bed helping Amanda clean and care for the wound at the side of Dean's head by wiping away the dried blood. She was stitching up the cut he'd gotten from the whiskey bottle and he knew she was also noting the other deep scratches to Dean's forehead and torso from the Daeva attacks just a couple days ago.

Sam knew she wanted to get Dean to a hospital, but he hoped he'd gotten her to understand that they couldn't. A hospital was out of the question right now and after what Ryon had told him about herself and her mother, Sam was hoping that they would be Dean's best chance here.

As Amanda finished the last stitch and Sam had finished cleaning Dean's face, they sat back with a joint sigh; they were just in time to see that Dean was dreaming now. Both sat mesmerized; watching him as he seemed to struggle with something or someone.

Amanda placed her hand on Dean's chest to feel his heartbeat; feel his emotions. She could feel Dean's inner struggle; feel his worry and when they both heard Dean's low moan with the echo of Sam's name on his lips as he exhaled, she knew Dean's pain. She knew his worry; his fears. This man's only real concern in this world sat next to him worrying just as much about him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Dean remembered rushing up to the front door of his old childhood home and having to beat the door down with a hatchet so he could get to his brother. Sam was trapped inside with the evil spirit that was terrifying the family living in his former in the home._

_Dean remembered breaking the door in and getting to the kitchen and finding Sam pinned against some cabinets watching as the burning spirit came down the stairs. He was ready to blow the spirit away with the rock salt shotgun when he was stopped by Sam._

_"No, don't! Don't!"_

_"What, why?" Dean asked, unsure of what was going through Sam's head._

_"Because I know who it is. I can see her now."_

_Dean watched as the spirit came closer and the fire began to dissipate to reveal it was the spirit of their mother. She looked exactly as she had the night she died in the fire. Dean couldn't believe what he was seeing. He felt the tears prickling behind his eyes as he slowly lowered the shotgun. _

_"Mom?" He asked, confused. He couldn't believe this. His mom was there in front of him just as he remembered her._

_"Dean." She said softly, like she'd said his name that night before his Dad had arrived home._

_Dean blinked at the tears as he watched Sam and the house around him disappear and all that remained were him and his mother. But she was moving away from him now; she was being taken away again._

_"Mom! Don't go please!" Dean reached out to her, but she was moving backwards away from him and he wasn't able to make his feet move. He needed her to stop; to stay with him. "Mom!"_

_"Dean, remember the angels. The angels are watching over you, honey." She replied as she slowly slipped away into the nothingness._

_Dean reached for her, but she was gone. "Mom… please… please stay with me." He begged as he moaned at the huge ache her leaving was causing his heart._

_Suddenly his mother's image was floating near him. "I'm here, Dean. I'm always with you." Then she leaned over and gently kissed his cheek._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amanda watched Dean as he stirred in his unconscious state. He was dreaming again or possibly he was remembering. She walked over to the bed and looked down at him. God he looked so pale, it tore at her heart. She didn't know what to do here; Sam had trusted her to watch over Dean while he and Ryon had taken the girls home and then gone to help Jimmy search for Brenda. It was three in the morning and so dark outside. Amanda worried about both of them out there with Eva or Brenda or whoever was behind all of this and who knew how many demons working for them.

Her healing powers hadn't really seemed to work on Dean, and she had been surprised by that. She'd never had that happen before, but it could be because they already had a binding link that she had allowed when Dean had touched her back in the bar. When he'd stroked her hand she'd allowed him in and that was something she rarely ever did outside of family.

But even if she couldn't heal him with just one touch, she could help alleviate his pain. She was torn; she knew she could ease his emotional discomfort by touching him; by taking his emotions inside herself so that he could rest and heal on his own, but she didn't want to invade the man's thoughts. For some strong and compelling reason she felt that everything Dean was before; everything he was now was all about keeping his pain; his emotions hidden from others. He kept them packed away and for her to try and access them would feel like a betrayal to him. She didn't want him to think she was going to hurt him if she knew his secrets.

She sighed as she could see him reaching out in his sleep for something… someone. He was moaning and even with his eyes closed, she knew he was on the verge of tears for whatever or whomever he was reaching for.

Her mind made up, she took hold of his hand and sat down on the bed next to him. She felt his deep despair at the loss of someone…someone very special to him. She reached out and stroked his cheek as he moaned. She was slightly surprised when he leaned his face into her touch.

"Mom…please…stay with me." He moaned into her hand.

Amanda could feel Dean's heart breaking. Breaking for his mother; God he was remembering his mother. This boy; man; was remembering his mother and she could feel his anguish at the loss of her. She was gone; died in a very brutal way; and she was leaving him now; again, just as before.

Amanda knew what she should do and what she needed to do. She did not hesitate. She moved her free hand to cover his forehead and she bent down close to his ear. "I'm here Dean. I'm always with you." She said and she gently kissed his cheek.

She instantly felt the man relax and she could feel the ache in his heart ease at her words. She held fast to him until Sam and Ryon came back and found her clutching his hand, sitting on the bed next to him with her forehead resting on Dean's cheek.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean woke slowly to the pounding in his head. He lifted a hand and tried to reach up to touch the cut on the side of his head, but found instead a stiff bandage there. He slowly lowered his hand and tried to open his eyes. He tried to focus, but all he could see was darkness and just as he was beginning to think that maybe he had gone blind, tiny pinpoints of light began to creep into his line of sight. He realized he was in a dark room with only one source of light coming from near his head.

He could hear voices; Sam's voice as well as that of…was that Amanda's voice too? He couldn't be sure at first, but then he could hear the definite timber of her soft spoken tone. They were talking; about him.

"I still think we need to get him to a hospital, Sam." Amanda was saying.

"No. No hospital." Sam said almost instantly.

Good boy; Sam. Dean knew the last place they could go right now was a hospital since Dean couldn't risk being identified from his police record in St. Louis. Sure that Dean Winchester was dead, but if he suddenly showed up, then there could be problems they didn't need right now. They couldn't very well explain that it was a shape-shifter buried there under his name.

"What the hell do you mean 'no'?" That was Ryon's voice; light and definitely girly, Dean thought.

Dean could imagine the look Sam would be giving the women. "No hospital Amanda. Trust me on that, if I could take Dean, I would. You're just gonna have to try again to and cure him."

_Cure him? Again? What was Sam saying? _Dean thought about this; maybe he was hearing wrong. Maybe his concussion was worse than he'd thought. There was no way Amanda could cure him. Not unless she really was… a witch?

"I can't. I tried, Sam. My power isn't working on him and I don't know why." There was an odd undertone to Amanda's words. A slight tremor; Dean could hear it because he wasn't looking at her. She was hiding something.

"Can you just…just try again; please Amanda?" Sam was pleading. "Please…he's my brother. He's…" Dean could hear the desperation in Sam's voice and it was unnerving him.

"S-sam?" Dean croaked out; his throat felt like sandpaper. "Sa-Sammy?" He tried again.

"Dean?" Sam was suddenly by Dean's side.

Dean groaned at the sound of Sam's voice so close. His eyelids fluttering; his long lashes brushing his pale face.

"Hey Dean. Open your eyes man."

"Sammy…?"

"Yeah man, I'm here. Come on, open your eyes for me Dean."

"…the hell?" Dean swallowed and tried again to open his eyes. "What the hell 'appened?"

"You used your head as target practice for that whiskey bottle; that guy was using it like it was a club." Sam reached out to touch Dean's cheek to see if he could get him to keep his eyes opened. He was rewarded with a decidedly Dean Winchester pissy face when he finally got his eyelids up and he could focus in on Sam.

"Dude, per-personal space." Dean said, trying to sound indignant. His voice was slightly stronger, but his focus was still off. He continued to blink as he took in his surroundings. As Sam smiled at him he stepped back to give Dean some room.

He slowly focused in on his own body and realized he was wearing only his jeans. His chest was bare and he had new bandages on his left side from the Deaeva's attack. He looked around at the generic motel room. They were basically all the same; except this one was a little different. As Dean looked up over his head he decided that this room was more than a little different than their average fare. The room had what was… was that a pentagram painted on the ceiling? What the hell?

"Am I going crazy, Sammy or is there some witchy artwork on the ceiling over my bed?" He asked as he turned that pissy face back to look at Sam.

Sam nodded his head trying to stifle a laugh. "Yeah dude. You're in Amanda's room. And she loves the witchy stuff, you know, considering she's a little bit more than a 'head in the clouds wiccan wannabe witch'." Sam paused before adding, "She a real honest to god witch, Dean." Sam said as he took in Dean's face moving from pissy to shocked.

"What? Really?"

"Yep, so if you're looking to hook up with her later, you're gonna have to look at the artwork." Sam finally gave in to the laugh he'd been trying to control.

Dean turned as Amanda approached him on the other side of the bed. He was shocked; surprised, really. He didn't like witches; he'd had a bad experience with one in his past, but… there was something about Amanda, he thought. Maybe…

Dean thought about it for a few more seconds then he smirked at Sam and replied, "Nah man. I don't have to see that artwork."

"And exactly why not?" Amanda blasted as she moved to put both hands on her hips and stare him down. Just who did he think he was? He wasn't any better than her. "I'll have you know that a pentagram is not witchy artwork, it is a blessing; for good, for protection. Not all witches are bad you know." She replied as her anger took over at the nerve of him.

"Wait." Dean chuckled. "Don't get your panties in a bunch." He said as he gently wriggled his eyebrows at her. "I just meant I won't be seein' that artwork because I'll be looking down; from the top."

Ryon burst into laughter as she saw her mother's jaw drop and the rising color creeping into her face. Sam chuckled along with Ryon. Typical Dean; they both were something else.

"You are unbelievable!" Amanda said trying to sound upset by the remark, but slowly began grinning at the man. She sat down on the bed next to him taking a hold of his hand. She reached out to check the bandage on his head. "Do you want me to back off? I mean, I don't want to be in your 'personal space'." She mimicked Dean's earlier words.

"Hon… you can enter my personal space anytime. But maybe we should send the children out of the room before we… you know, check out the witchy artwork together." He teased.

"Okay, I can see you're better Dean. Why I even worry, I'll never know." Sam replied.

"Because you're such a girl Samantha."

Sam watched as Dean blinked at him and fought back the urge to verbally spar with him when he could see the pain that was still there in Dean's eyes. He wasn't up to their usual mental sparring yet. Sam turned to Amanda instead and asked again, "What can you do to help his pain?"

Amanda sighed as she looked up at Sam. "I've tried everything and right now if your brother will stay in bed and let the potion work, he might just be up and around sometime tomorrow, but I can't promise anything. As I said before my powers don't seem to be working on him, so we just have to be patient."

"But what if Brenda sends more demons for him? I'm not losing my brother." Sam said with fierce determination.

Dean had been watching as the two talked over him and he hated when that happened. No one, not even Sam was going to talk about him like he wasn't there; like he couldn't take care of himself.

"Stop." He snapped at the two. "Whatever is going on, it stops now. I'm right here guys and no one is going to discuss what's best for me like I'm friggin' four years old."

"But Dean-" Sam began.

"No buts, Sammy." Dean ground out. "What the hell is going on here? Why would Brenda be after me? Why demons?" He questioned then the remembered earlier conversation about cures and powers. "Why would Amanda have powers? And what the hell do you mean by potion? He asked turning to look at Amanda. "What the hell exactly is going on?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Dean had listened calmly as Sam, Ryon and Amanda filled him in on everything that had happened while he had been out. He was as surprised as they were when it seemed that the person responsible for the disappearances and murders of those men seemed to be Amanda's cousin, Brenda.

"But Brenda isn't a witch, is she?" He asked as he struggled to get more comfortable in his semi-reclining position on the bed. "I mean from what I know about witches, real power-driven witches usually get their powers hereditarily; same sex lineage thing, women from their female ancestors and men from their male ancestors. And if Brenda is your cousin on your father's side, then how could she be a witch? Unless her mother was one?"

"Exactly." Amanda replied impressed with his knowledge. "Her mother was my father's sister and therefore not a witch, so there's no way Brenda got her powers from my line. The only way she could have any power would be from another witch and that witch would have to be a grand high witch or…"

"A grand high witch?" Sam asked confused.

"Grand high witches are the most powerful. On the good side a white witch becomes a grand high witch through their ancestors; the more powerful a line is the more powerful the witch therefore you get a grand high witch." Dean answered without really thinking.

"Wow. I am impressed." Ryon said staring at Dean. She looked at Sam who was also staring at Dean.

Amanda was becoming more impressed by the minute with the guy. He wasn't just another pretty face; he was smart. Maybe even smarter than Sam, although she knew he would never admit that or in any way take that distinction away from Sam. No, Dean hid his brain from Sam and others. It was all about Sam for Dean.

"And that's why I think Brenda isn't doing this alone. She could be getting her power from a grand high witch, but that's doubtful since they're doing evil. She's probably getting her power from a rogue witch." Amanda supplied.

"I agree. It's probably a rogue witch we're dealing with here." Dean replied scratching at the scruff on his chin as he thought about it.

"Rogue witch?" Sam asked, his confusion getting the better of him. "Wait a sec…Dean how do you know so much about witches? I thought you hated them." Dean never seemed to know much about what they were hunting before the hunt unless…unless he'd faced the same thing before. "Dean, have you and Dad faced this kind of witch before?" He asked, looking hard at Dean now.

Dean turned to look up at Sam and Sam swore he saw something there in Dean's eyes for the briefest of instants before he spoke; something dark and brooding.

"Right after you went off to college, Dad went to help Caleb on a hunt in Oregon. Didn't even ask me to tag along, just took off. That left me all alone to either twiddle my thumbs or find my own hunt, and I do not twiddle my thumbs." Dean paused as if remembering and not really wanting to. "I came across a rogue witch just outside a small town in New Mexico, so I read up on them; before I took her out."

Dean didn't offer any more details and Sam didn't ask; he knew Dean wouldn't give him anymore right now. Dean had answered his question, but he'd also let Sam know that was all Sam was going to get for now.

Amanda took in what was going on between the brothers and knew there was also something there in Dean's answer that explained everything about his hatred of witches. She watched Dean's face and as she was still holding his hand, she could feel the strong negative energy he was giving off. She decided she'd confront Dean in private about what he was hiding; for his own good.

"Anyway, it's important that we all know what we are dealing with is some extreme dark magic here and it's not possible for Brenda to manifest that much energy by herself." She replied keeping an eye on Ryon as she listened to their conversation.

"Okay so there is a real wicked rogue witch involved and he or she is more or less pulling Brenda's strings so to speak; she's using Brenda and demons to lure these men to him or her. The question now is why and what do all of these men have in common with the one who wants them?" Ryon asked meeting her mother's eye.

She too could sense the negative energy in the room, but she was mainly feeling it coming from her mother. That could mean her mother was feeling it from Dean or it could actually be coming from Amanda.

"All of the missing men had the same physical descriptions in common; they were all tall with green eyes and dark blonde hair. Dean matches that description." Amanda answered quietly. She'd decided to keep quiet about the men all being Hunters until Sam and Dean were willing to admit to her that they were Hunters. Sam had yet to reveal that, and she guessed he was waiting for Dean to decide if they should be told.

Dean jerked his head around to look at Amanda. "You think she's after me?" He paused watching her. "Just because I look like the others does not mean she's after me. I'm not next; I'm just not." He added even though he knew. He'd sensed it back in the bar, when he'd heard Amanda discussing a 'he' with the demons. He'd know then he was the 'he' in question. There were after him.

"Yes you are Dean and you know it. You knew it back in the bar. You were right there in the middle of it all and you took out the biggest threat first, the leader. You did it because…" Sam began. He'd been about to say because of Dad's betrayal, but he stopped short of that. He knew Dean would try to fight back first; not be taken willingly; and his hurt from what had happened with their father only fueled Dean's attack. He knew Dean was still hurting from that, but he also knew it was no one else's business.

Dean turned to look at Sam again and was about to deny it when he realized it didn't really matter. "Okay, so what if I knew? I'm not gonna back off from something evil just because they want my ass. I'm not gonna hide; I'm gonna fight back. I'm gonna do what I was trained to do." Come hell or high water Dean Winchester would never back away from something that needed killing.

"Really Dean? And what about me?"

"What about you Sam?"

"Were you going to let me fight? Were you gonna let me in on your plan?"

"My plan?" Dean asked watching Sam with that hard glint in his green eyes.

"Yeah Dean, your plan. Your plan that never allows me to fight for you; are you forgetting I was trained to do this job too?" Sam asked as he stared back at Dean, not backing down. "Ever since Dad's betrayal you haven't said anything about what happened either then or back in Chicago. You just threw yourself into this hunt to lose yourself." Sam knew he was pushing it here, but he needed Dean to face this; face what Dad had done, what had happened and what they were going to do about it. Sam felt the distance between them growing by the minute as Dean refused to talk about anything.

Dean closed his eyes. He had the overwhelming need to reach out a hand to Sam to feel he was still there, the contact telling him Sam wouldn't leave him again, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He could feel the darkness inside him and if he couldn't hold onto Sam, then he was afraid he was going to be lost to that darkness.

Amanda could feel the darkness coming from Dean even without touching him. He felt so…lost. He had a lot of repressed feelings that he just kept pushing down, pushing back away from the surface to face later. The problem was later never came and he just kept pushing and…and hiding how he truly felt. The man was a mecca of repressed feelings; he kept everything inside; protected, safe.

Amanda knew how well that worked out and it wasn't good. She herself had done the same thing all her life…when she'd found out who she was, what she was, what she was destined to become, she'd had to push things aside. Then there had been Ryon's father and the problems he had caused and then what had happened to Ryon a few years ago, she'd pushed some more. Kept it all inside; never let it out. Amanda had had one job, to keep her daughter safe and she'd messed it up and it had just about broken her. But now she had her daughter back and she'd sworn that she'd work harder at letting a lot of stuff just go.

She knew what Dean was feeling, she knew it all to well and she knew what these boys had been through was nothing compared to what was to come; what their future held. What was to come for the both of them would push them beyond their breaking points and if they didn't deal with this now, they wouldn't be able to survive their future.

"Look guys, it doesn't matter right now who knew what or who did what; what does matter is finding Brenda and Ray. And this rogue witch." Amanda said, trying to avoid the fight that was brewing between these two.

Ryon could feel the battle brewing between Sam and Dean as well as her mom and she didn't need to be an Empath to feel it. The two oozed angst at every turn. But she was worried more about her mother; if she became too overloaded with all their negative energy, she'd have to get away from them.

"Well exactly how are we going to do that? We haven't got a clue where to start?" Ryon replied keeping a close eye on her mother.

"Yeah, you're right Ryon." Sam said sitting back down in the chair next to Dean. "But we do know Dean is the next target, so we can't let him out of our sight."

"Sam…you're doing it again; talking over me. I am not hiding and I sure as hell ain't gonna let anyone keep me on lockdown. No way!" Dean said a warning tone in his voice.

Amanda dropped Dean's hand at the rush of emotion coming at her. "That's it! No more! You two are going to kill me!"

She stood up too quickly and felt the room tilt drastically. She felt the whole world tilt suddenly and if Dean hadn't seen her reaction, she knew she would have slid right off the planet she thought as she felt his arms reach out and gather her to him. That was her last thought just before everything went black.

Dean jerked upward to grab Amanda's waist as her body went slack and he was able to catch her in his arms. She landed on the bed sprawled across his lap. Dean's head was spinning at the sudden movement and he felt the nausea associated with a concussion coming back in full force; he frantically kept swallowing back the bile that rose in the back of his throat.

"Mom!" Ryon rushed forward as she saw her mother falling.

"Sam!" Dean managed to get out as he felt is own world starting to tilt. The last thing he felt before passing out was Sam's strong arms gathering Amanda up and away from his hold.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_"Get away from my daughter!" Amanda yelled at the thing that had previously been known as Danny to her daughter._

_The man had been dating Ryon for the last few months and had steadily been pulling her away from her family trying to take them out. He'd almost gotten Ryon completely when Amanda had finally found them and had come to take her daughter back._

_Danny laughed maniacally as he held Ryon against him as a shield to keep Amanda away. The knife he held against Ryon's throat had Amanda frozen in fear for her daughter._

_"This is all your fault Amanda. If you'd just left my family alone all those years ago, I wouldn't even be here. But you didn't and now you're going to know what it feels like to lose someone you love!" He jeered at her as he quickly brought the knife swiftly across Ryon's throat slicing it open._

_He released her as the blood flowed down Ryon's neck and onto her chest. Her eyes went wide in terror as she grabbed at her throat to try and stop the bleeding. Time seemed to stand still as the life slowly drained from Ryon's body with every beat of her heart._

_As Ryon began falling to the ground, Amanda screamed, "No! Ryon!"_

"No! Ryon!" Amanda screamed as she bolted upright on the bed where she lay. She looked around in terror. She frantically searched her surroundings until her eyes locked with her daughter's.

"Mom! I'm here." Ryon was saying, soothingly as she reached out to take her mother in her arms. "I'm safe, mom. You saved me; it's over. Promise." She continued to sooth her.

Sam sat next to the bed on Dean's side where Dean lay unconscious next to Amanda. Sam watched as Ryon consoled Amanda out of the nightmare. He'd seem Amanda having the nightmare and he'd seen how it had affected Ryon just as badly as it did Amanda. It felt surreal watching them; it could have been him and Dean. They each had their share of nightmares, but Dean's were becoming more and more intense since the Rawhead; since Nebraska and Roy LaGrange.

Sam shook his head at the memories; not the time to think about that. He couldn't help though seeing the similarities between Amanda's nightmares and Dean's. They both dreamed about failing their family. He sighed as he thought they both had their secret demons to contend with.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"What happened?" Amanda asked, once she had herself under control. She hated it when those dreams came, and she'd tried so hard to keep them a secret, but now Ryon knew.

"You were dreaming again; about Danny and before." Ryon answered gently as she let go of her mother. "You're still having those nightmares, aren't you?"

_Duh, Amanda thought. Yes I am, but I am not discussing them. _"No. Of course not." She replied evenly.

"You are a bad liar mother." Ryon took a long look at Amanda. "If you're not having those nightmares then why do you wake up screaming my name like you're losing me all over again?"

Amanda locked eyes with Ryon. "Okay, yes. I still have the nightmares, but can you blame me?" She snapped and then she instantly regretted her words as Ryon flinched. It wasn't her fault, she'd been young and naïve. "I'm sorry, hon. This isn't your fault." Amanda quickly added knowing she didn't really blame Ryon. "I'm okay, really."

Ryon wasn't convinced that her mother was okay, but she did sense her true regret at her stinging words so she just nodded in understanding. She knew her mother wouldn't want to talk about their past in front of anyone. "Okay." She replied quietly. "But we will talk."

"Sure." Amanda agreed in like… oh never she said to herself. She turned to look at Dean who lay next to her. "Is he okay? What happened?" She asked again taking in his pasty pallor.

"When you fainted, Dean grabbed you before you could face-plant on the carpet, but the exertion was too much for him and he passed out." Ryon answered as Sam nodded in agreement.

Why did people always say women fainted and men passed out? Wasn't it the same thing? Amanda thought. She shook her had and reached out to touch the arm Dean had resting across his bare stomach as if he was trying to protect his wounds in his sleep. She could feel the physical pain he had been in, but he actually seemed to be doing better and he was just sleeping now. "He's sleeping now. His wounds are better and he's not in as much pain as before. I think he'll be fine if we can keep him in bed and resting."

"Yeah good luck with that." Sam scoffed as he listened to Amanda.

She smiled in agreement with him. "You're probably right. He'll do what he wants. Well, we may have to tie him down then."

"Again…good luck with that." Sam repeated grinning.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amanda was sitting at the table in her room talking with Sam while they waited for Ryon to do a breakfast run. Dean was still sleeping and he appeared to be sleeping more soundly than he had the past few days.

Sam had finally came out and told them that both Dean and he were Hunters and had heard about this case from a family friend. He hadn't told them about what had recently happened to them in Chicago, which was something Amanda planned on finding out about. She'd heard him and Dean discussing it earlier and she knew it bothered Dean a lot. Whatever had happened to them; whatever had caused those other wounds to Dean's side, well she just hoped they'd been able to get rid of it.

"So Ryon told me about most of your abilities, especially your ability to feel what others feel." Sam began as he watched Amanda watching Dean. "I'm just curious about one thing though."

Amanda turned and smiled gently at the man who still felt like a young boy to her. Sam was really adorable. He reminded her of a St. Bernard; big, loveable, dependable and fiercely loyal; and dangerous when necessary.

"And what is that Sam?" She asked quietly noting how he constantly kept a watchful eye on both her and Dean. She knew he probably didn't even realize he was watching her just as much as he was watching Dean. He was in protector mode.

"Why didn't you just let go of Dean's hand when all the negativity became too much to bear?" He was amazed that she'd handled it for as long as she had, because he knew how much emotion both he and Dean could give off when they were…disagreeing on something.

Sam knew both Dean and him were very emotional, just in different ways. Sam preferred to wear his emotions; that was his way of dealing with things, but Dean kept everything inside, pushed down deep. Sam didn't have to be a witch to know just how emotional his brother really was. Dean preferred to be stoic in front of Sam and others, but he still carried a lifetime of sadness, anger, pain, regret, loneliness and love within him all pushed down deep and he never let it out. Sam didn't know how Amanda had been able to handle any of it.

Amanda leaned across the table and took one of Sam's hands in both of hers and held tightly as she looked deep into his expressive hazel eyes. She knew Sam knew Dean's pain; knew everything his brother felt before when they were a family, but she also knew Sam was not as in touch with Dean now as he once had been. She prayed that would change, because these boys needed each other. No one could protect them better than the other and they had a destiny that was rocky, but if they held onto each other they would survive it.

"Because Sam, I wasn't the one holding on." She replied softly as she shifted her gaze from Sam to rest on Dean.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam was sitting alone now at the table in Amanda's room as the early afternoon sun shone through the curtains. It was his shift to watch over Dean; the three of them had decided to each handle a four hour shift to keep Dean safe and this way they could all get some rest. The idea would work out just fine for all of them; at least until Dean woke up and put a stop to it, Sam thought.

Ryon was in her room sleeping and Amanda was in the woods helping to search for Brenda and Ray. She was still hoping to find the last man, Travis Well, who had not been found yet.

Sam hated this waiting, but he knew Dean could sleep all day and possibly all night. He knew he was that tired, regardless of what he said. When Amanda returned in another hour it would be her turn to watch over Dean while Ryon and Sam were planning on staking out the bar again.

Jimmy and Amanda had taken care of disposing of the five men from last night. Sam could only hope they had disposed of them the way a Hunter would.

While Sam and Amanda had talked that morning he'd gained valuable information on demons and how they were able to be killed with the blades that belonged to Amanda and the marked bullets and shells from the shotguns. Evidently the shotguns and shells had all been doused in holy water then marked with devil's traps. Sam didn't know much about devil's traps, but he planned on checking into them in the near future.

The knives were what fascinated him the most and he knew Dean would be too when he found out. It seemed the two gold and alabaster marble knives were created from the throne of Solomon himself; the King of Demons. Sam knew a little about Solomon, but not that much. He didn't realize the magnitude of Solomon's throne and that it had been a huge display of power.

Sam knew about the seal of Solomon, a ring given to him by the arch angel Michael that gave him control over demons; it gave him the power to have them do his bidding, to obey him.

The fact that Amanda's family had been gifted with two of only six known blades to survive through the centuries was exciting to Sam. Apparently they had been in Amanda's family since their beginning. Such gifts told Sam that Amanda was no ordinary witch. In Sam's mind, it meant that Amanda was one in a long line of grand high witches. Which also meant she was more powerful than she'd led him to believe. It meant she could do a lot more than she was doing. It meant he was determined to find out why she was holding back and if she could help them in their search for the yellow-eyed demon.

At the sound of a light snore coming from Dean, Sam chuckled to himself. Dean looked different when he was actually getting some real sleep. He looked younger more vulnerable somehow. But Sam knew that was not the actual case. Dean may look vulnerable, but he would never ever allow himself to be vulnerable.

Sam thought back to what he'd told Dean about going back to school again once they got the demon. He'd been thinking about that yesterday in the bar when they'd first arrived. He hated himself now for telling Dean he wanted to leave after they caught the demon.

_"You and me and Dad – I mean, I want us…I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again." Dean's eyes were shining wit the shimmer of his tears._

_"Dean we are a family. I'd do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before." Sam tried to understand Dean's need for family, but he just couldn't get past his own need to get away._

_Dean looked heartbroken. "Could be." He said sadly._

_"I don't want them to be. I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way." He looked at Dean pleadingly._

Sam shuddered now at his remembered words. It was as if he'd slapped Dean when all he wanted was to have his family back again. Nothing more. It was the only dream Dean had and Sam had taken that dream and thrown it out the window. It had been the cruelest thing he'd said to him since he could remember and Sam wished with all his heart right now he could take those words back.

Because right now as he watched Dean in sleep looking so young and alone, Sam wanted nothing more than to have his family back too. He felt so guilty for causing Dean this extra pain on top of what their father had already done.

"It's not your fault Sammy."

Sam jerked at the sound of his name. He'd been looking at Dean but hadn't really seen when the man had woken up. He jumped up and hurried over to the bed as Dean grunted while trying to move himself into a sitting position.

"Dean?"

"Hey dude, I'm okay." Dean said as he settled on the fact he wasn't going to get into the position he wanted without a little help. "Help me up Sammy."

Sam resisted the urge to help. "Dean wait a sec. You got hit pretty good back there and you passed out again man. Not to mention the stitches you still got in your side from the Deaevas."

"And your point is?" Dean snapped as he looked up at Sam.

"My point is your hurt. You got twelve stitches to your head courtesy of Amanda and you got twenty-two stitches in your side. On top of that you were out all night after getting hit and another eight hours after you passed out when Amanda fainted. You've been asleep more the last twenty-four hours than you have this past week, dude."

"Great; then I've rested enough. Now help me the hell up."

Sam sighed in resignation as he put out his hand to take Dean's and lift his brother to his feet. As soon as Dean was vertical though, all his bravado left him. He looked up into Sam's eyes and with a muffled groan he swayed into Sam. He closed his eyes and reached out with his other hand to grab a hold of Sam to keep him balanced. Sam reached out and grabbed Dean's shoulder to help stabilize his stubborn brother.

"I gotcha Dean." Sam said gently.

Dean looked back at Sam and nodded weakly and allowed Sam to push him back down on the bed in a sitting position.

Sam looked down at Dean's bowed head as he seemed to be trying to orient himself. He was amazed at how much the guy would take and never really complain. He wondered how much of Dean's bravado was just for Sam's benefit. Did he feel like he constantly had to watch out for Sam? Was that why he needed Sam? Dad? So he had someone to take care of? Because Dean had always been the one to doctor their father, to watch over him as he healed; as well as Sam when he had gotten hurt. Dean had always taken care of them both.

"You're thinking too loud Sam. It's making my head hurt." Dean said weakly. He hadn't raised his head, but he knew Sam better than Sam sometimes knew himself. "It's not your fault." He repeated.

Sam was surprised at first, then quickly realized Dean knew everything. He would know Sam would be blaming himself. "Really Dean? Because it sure feels like it is my fault. If I hadn't given you that speech about wanting to leave as soon as we kill the demon, maybe, well maybe…"

Dean did look up then and Sam could see his eyes were glinting with something that Sam could not place at first; Dean didn't look angry or sad or even really all that emotional, but Sam new something was there just under the surface.

"Maybe what Sam? Maybe I wouldn't be sitting her with stitches in my side or in my head? Stitches I have from injuries I got protecting people. Something I would do whether we'd had our talk or not about you leaving…again." Dean blinked several times and swallowed against the lump in his throat." I got news for you Sam, no matter what you say or what you do, that is never going to change. I will do what I do; I will always do this job; and I will always do my damnedest to do the right thing whether you're by my side or not."

Sam grimaced. "That's not the point and you know it. I know better than anyone you will do this job, but if I hadn't hurt you by telling you I was gonna leave then you might not feel like I don't need you. Because man, whether I'm back at school or hunting by your side I'm always gonna need you. Always. Dean, you will always be needed. I was wrong to tell you I'd leave; I'm not leaving Dean. I'm right here."

"Sam now is not the time to go into-"

"Yes it is!" Sam cut him off. "I need you to know that I need you. And I was wrong; Dad was wrong. We should never have left you. You are what keeps us together as a family. You deserve to be here more than I do." He added quietly.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you deserve to live more than I do. I'm not needed like you are. Me…Dad, we…well, we don't see eye to eye; probably never will. But you Dean…you are the one who can do this for Dad, for me. You do exactly what Dad taught you, but you're a better Hunter. Your better than me; even better than Dad, because we have revenge in our minds, but you don't. I know you want to find the demon because of Mom and Jess, but that's not what keeps you going; taking out evil; saving people. Me and Dad aren't driven by the innocent here. You are. We want revenge and you want to save people."

"Don't you say that Sam! Don't you ever say that to me!" Dean stood up and fisted his hand in Sam's shirt. "Don't put this all on Dad and yourself and don't ever tell me I'm better than either of you!"

"But Dean-"

"No! I'm not better than you or Dad ever!" Dean's tone softened. "You're smarter Sammy. Way smarter than me. You _feel _man; you feel for the people we help as well as the ones we can't. you care; you care so much more than I do. You make a better Hunter because you've known both lives. You know what's out there and you understand the normal safe life. You know what these people could lose. I don't. I've never really had that apple pie life; the mundane; so I don't feel for these people like you do."

"You're wrong Dean. You do feel; just as much as I do; probably more. Now you're really wrong." Sam said covering Dean's hand fisted in his shirt with his own.

"Sam!" Dean grunted. "No-

"Stop it! Both of you!" Amanda yelled at them from the entrance to the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Both Sam and Dean turned to look at Amanda. The two had been so involved in their battle of who was guiltier, that they'd missed hearing Amanda and Ryon come into the room. Dean gently let go of Sam's shirt as he turned to face the woman watching them.

Amanda blinked at the sight of the man standing there without a shirt. She took in the bandages to his left temple and his left side; his right arm resting across his stomach to hold onto his left side as he turned to face her. Damn it, she thought as she swallowed hard, the man was hot even wounded.

"Both of you need to stop this fighting right now." She said firmly as she walked into to room, dropping her bag she'd been carrying just inside the room by the door. Ryon followed her into the room and shut the door behind them. "You two are going to be the death of me with all the fucking emotions bouncing around you both." She walked over to them and reached out her left hand and gently touched Sam's upper right arm.

"Mom-" Ryon began. "Don't." She didn't want her mother to be overcome by the emotions from Sam and Dean again.

But one look at her mother as she turned to smile at her, told her what Amanda was going to do. Ryon smiled and crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the closed door to watch Amanda then place her right hand on Dean's left arm as she looked at first Sam and then Dean.

"Now I want you to feel what the other one is feeling." And with that she closed her eyes and both men could feel the energy channeled from her to them through her touch.

Both Sam and Dean looked at each other and it was as if both were completely awash in what the other had just been feeling, both physically as well as emotionally. Sam gasped at the physical pain from Dean's current wounds as well as his feelings of abandonment, but that wasn't all Dean was feeling. Sam could feel the pride coming from Dean; Dean was proud…of him, of Sam. Proud of everything Sam had ever done during their lives. Sam felt other things as well. Like how Dean felt about his own self. He felt like he was a soldier; a nobody. He felt Sam was more important and that Dean himself wasn't. He felt Dean's love for their father, but that love paled in comparison for Dean's love for him, for Sam. Dean truly loved his brother more than life itself.

And Dean was shocked by Sam's immense feelings of being useless. He felt he would never be as good of a Hunter as Dean was. Some of that came from the fact Sam didn't care for this life the same way Dean did, but most came from the fact that Sam felt he was not good enough. Sam felt Dean was the best Hunter, he idolized Dean, thought he could do no wrong. Dean was Sam's big brother and he had Dean on a pedestal. That scared Dean more than any demon, shifter or werewolf ever could. Sam saw Dean as the only person he could trust completely without word. And Dean felt Sam's heart; Sam cared about people and not just in saving them. Yes that was important, but he cared about how people moved on from the horrible things that evil did to them.

Dean felt all of Sam's feelings at the loss of Jess and now his feelings for Ryon. He felt all of Sam's pain at the loss of his life with Jess and his hunger to get revenge for the thing that killed her. Dean realized that Sam truly felt only revenge when he hunted; revenge to get the demon for both himself and their father, but also revenge at every evil thing on the planet because whatever it was, it had hurt somebody in some way. Dean gasped as he also realized that Sam held a lot of anger at their father for raising them the way he had, but not just for himself; he held that anger at the way Dean had been raised as well.

Because Sam felt their father had taken Dean's childhood from him; forcing Dean to have to fill his shoes to care for Sam. Sam felt Dean was more of a father to him than their own had ever been and that scared Dean almost as much as the idol status Sam held him to.

Suddenly the bond between the two brothers was broken when Amanda removed her hands. They both turned to look at her in complete and utter shock.

"Now do you understand each other a little better?" Amanda asked softly. Taking in their expressions, she laughed lightly. "Cool power, isn't it?"

"That's an underestimate." Sam said still in awe of what he'd just learned about his brother. "Dean, we are so gonna discuss this later." He added looking back at his brother. "But right now, you definitely need to take some painkillers dude."

Dean looked at Sam. "What? Why? I feel fine Sam." Dean turned to Amanda when he caught her laughing again. "What?" What was so funny?

"Man Dean, we just switched feelings and you are in so much pain right now it isn't even funny."

"Well, you guys seem to think it _is _funny." Dean snapped.

"Yeah right. Sorry."

"Yeah well, you sort of have some weird ass feelings goin' on too. But _I'm _fine." Dean insisted as he continued to stand their in front of Sam holding himself stiffly.

"Oh great, here we go again." Amanda threw her hands in the air. "Can you just stow the crap so we can work on this case? Because I promise you guys as soon as we finish it, I'll make you two hug it out and sing campfire songs all in the name of your deep brotherly love for one another." She added sarcastically.

Ryon couldn't hold in the laughter at all of them. Dean actually had the deer in the headlights look going on at the mere mention of hugging, while Sam looked like a lot like he had gas. This was priceless, she thought.

Amanda looked at each person in turn, then leaved a huge sigh as she said, "Okay, sorry for snapping. I've just had enough emotion for one day; one very long day. So can you two just agree to play nice for a little wile?"

Dean cracked that amazing smile of his and replied, "Sure hon, but only if you promise me some naughty time later." He winked at her as he gave her the full benefit of that grin.

Sam scoffed at Dean as Amanda just blinked at him in surprise again. Ryon couldn't get her giggles under control.

"Leave it to you Dean. Leave it to you." Sam sighed then joined Ryon in her laughter. He was glad Dean had gotten them past that awkward moment of sharing their feelings; however Sam didn't think he was going to forget that little moment for a long time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam sat between Ryon and her cousin Sara, in jimmy's bar. How he let himself be talked into this he had no idea. It was one thing to come back to the bar with Ryon on stakeout again, but to come with her family of women was entirely something else. Sitting here listening to these women talk about their lives was like living through a Janet Evanovich novel. Yeah, he thought, he read Janet Evanovich; the woman was funny, but this well, this was just too weird even for Janet.

Sam tried to remember to smile at all the right times during the conversations going on around him and he hoped that soon he could excuse himself and head off to the bathroom for a few minutes of peace. He'd just about had enough of listening to all these women's advice on sex for Jaycie's wedding night. Sam swore if he heard one more time how men didn't really pay enough attention to a woman's erotic zone, he was gonna shoot himself.

"Um, excuse me; I think…I um, need to go to the bathroom." Sam said, hoping Ryon would get up so he could get out of the booth they were sitting in. "Please…" He turned pleading eyes to Ryon and she seemed to take pity on him as she stood up and Sam practically ran for the sanctuary of the bathroom.

Jenn turned to look at Ryon as she sat back down laughing at Sam's back disappearing around the corner to the restrooms. "He's adorable." She said laughing with the group. "Ryon, this is so mean; why are we giving him a hard time again?"

"Because Dean said the only way he'd abide with being on lockdown is if we give Sam a hard time; and because he said he'd pay me!" Ryan answered, chuckling.

"Yeah, well when he finds out you guys are screwing with him, I feel sorry for you." Kaitlyn said watching a nice young cowboy standing at the bar smiling at her. She returned the smile and a small wave.

Sara turned to look the guy over and said, "Eyes off young lady." Then she turned back to Ryon. "So, when do we let Sam off the hook?"

Ryon looked down at her watch. "Oh; never. I'm not telling him about this; I'm gonna let Dean tell him when he starts questioning Sam about his night. Now what else can we discuss when Sam gets back that will really have him wanting to jump in front of a passing car?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean sat up in bed watching the TV while Amanda slept next to him. She was really beautiful laying there fully clothed and sleeping. He smiled to himself as he thought about how hard it had been to convince her that she looked worn out and need to get some sleep without her thinking he was just trying to get her in bed with him. He'd promised he'd stay put and not sneak off if she would just lie down and sleep.

Amanda snored lightly in her sleep and Dean thought the sound was kind of nice. He'd never thought about another woman the same way he'd thought about Cassie. He'd thought he'd been in love with her at the time, but then she'd rejected him and it had hurt. But that hurt was nothing compared to the way she'd let him leave a few weeks ago. She hadn't even said she wanted him to come back. At the time, Dean had thought anything of it, but later he'd felt that her response was just another way of rejecting him again and this time it hurt more than he'd imagined.

But now Dean realized he'd changed, and Cassie hadn't. She was still the same and Dean knew he would not be going back to see Cassie again. And he was okay with that.

As he watched Amanda, he was glad that things with Cassie were over. He felt something totally different when he looked at Amanda and he knew it was much more real than what he'd thought he'd had with Cassie. Dean hadn't even kissed this woman and he actually found he was beginning to care for her; really care.

Dean yawned as he reached for the TV remote to change the channel. Amanda stirred as Dean stretched across her to reach the remote that was sitting on the nightstand next to her. He froze as she moved under his arm stretched across her shoulder.

"I know you're there Dean." Amanda purred quietly at the feel of his arm over her. "I'm a light sleeper and you'd better not be trying to break your promise." She added as she turned her head to look up at him.

"No." Dean swallowed as he took in the way her lips were puffy from sleep and the way her tongue snuck out to wet her lips made him completely forget anything else he was going to say.

"You okay there Dean?"

"Huh? Oh um yeah; I'm fine. Just reaching for the remote. My movie's over and I am not gonna watch the chick flick coming on next." He smiled as he continued over her to grab the remote; however he lingered there for a moment longer.

Amanda looked up in his green eyes and she couldn't help but think he had the most beautiful eyes. And those eyelashes, God she'd kill for those eyelashes. Then she focused in on his full kissable lips. She couldn't think and she decided to throw caution to the wind. She raised her head and gently touched those lips of his with her own. She'd expected the experience to be nice, but she was in no way prepared for the rush of heat that flowed from his lips into her very being. She turned into him as he lowered himself slightly to deepen the kiss.

Dean dropped the remote and wrapped that hand into her hair as he moved his lips over hers; tasting her; lingering on her full bottom lip and sucking it between his teeth to gently nip it before moving to deepen the kiss again. He slowly moved his tongue over her teeth as he gently sought out the softness of her mouth. God he thought, she tasted so good. He'd never felt this way before and she was so…just so…good to taste; to touch.

Amanda reached up to run her hand around the back of his neck and pull him down more. She felt the energy rippling through him in waves. She heard his breath hitch in his chest as he moved over her lips. His hand was knotted in her hair now, moving over the back of her head pulling her closer to him. His lips were soft; so soft and she knew at once that he would be a magnificent lover just by the way the man kissed. He didn't take anything she wasn't willing to give to him; he just encouraged her to lead the way. He was letting her set the pace.

The kiss had been slow at first, but when she let him know she was more than willing, he opened his mouth slightly and allowed her to move her tongue over his; to taste him as he had her; and she did. She felt him suddenly tense, and she knew he was about to pull away from her. No, she thought. She thrust her tongue quickly across his bottom lip and heard the groan that came from deep within him as he struggled to move away and yet try and stay close.

Slowly he pulled back though as he looked into her eyes. He gently moved his hand from her hair to rub his thumb across her bottom lip. "I don't want you to think…" He didn't know exactly how to say what was going through his mind right now. He wanted her, God how he wanted her, but not this way. He wanted her to know he did not want her to think he was taking advantage of her.

Amanda looked up at Dean and when she realized exactly what he was thinking and why he'd stopped, she couldn't help herself; she laughed. Dean was surprised at first then confused.

"And exactly what is so funny here?" He asked grinning down at her.

"You." She said softly grinning back. "You want this as much as I do, but right now you were just thinking you didn't want me to think you were taking advantage of me." Amanda replied loving the way he was looking at her.

Dean was surprised then realized he shouldn't be; the woman _was _a witch after all. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised you read my mind considering just how powerful a witch you really are." It was his turn to surprise her; and he succeeded.

Amanda looked at him and slowly slid up to rest on her elbows on the bed forcing Dean to pull back a little. However he was reluctant to move too far away. "What makes you think that?"

"Mandy please; I know witches and you are not the average witch. You have these really cool Solomon Blades and you have some cool powers like being and Empath and you and Ryon talk telepathically. And I haven't even gotten around to the way you read people. You can see demons in human hosts, you know all about Hunters and you make a mean Hurricane."

Amanda just looked at him. Now what was going to do if he had her all figured out? Well he didn't know everything, she thought. "Well, I still have some secrets up my sleeve, although I am depressed I couldn't do much to magically heal your wounds." She added as she gently touched the bandage on the side of his head.

"Well, you're doing some pretty special healing right now." He said softly as he bent his head again to taste her lips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam thought for sure he was dead. Yep, he was dead and this was the devil's way of torturing him for his past sins. Not that he had committed that many sins, unless killing monsters ranked high on the sin chart. He didn't think they did on God's chart, but it was definitely on the devil's; however Sam was willing to rethink the whole thing if either one would just kill him now. It would just be a formality since Sam knew technically he was dead already; 'cause if he had to hear one more horror story about what women when through during childbirth, he knew he was gong to just kill himself and save God the trouble.

"Sam! Are you listening to me? Sam?!"

Sam turned to look at Ryon with slightly glazed over eyes. "Yeah?"

Ryon was having a hard time keeping a straight face here. "Are you okay Sam? You look a little green. Do you need another beer or something?"

"Can you order me a scotch on the rocks? A double; no wait a triple. _Did they make a triple? Hell Sam didn't know. _"Hell, forget the rocks and tell Jimmy to just bring me the bottle and I'll be just fine."

"Umm, okay Sam." Sara said as she waved over at Jimmy. She couldn't help the laughter that bubbled over at the sight of Sam. "Sorry Sam, you look kind of…sad." She added this adorable giant puppy of a guy putting up with this torture.

"I'll be fine. Just as soon as Jimmy gets my bottle and I can borrow Dean's knife."

"Dean's knife? What do you need Dean's knife for?" Ryon asked confused.

Sam turned to look at Ryon. "So I can stab myself in the neck. That way I can more complete understand the pain a woman goes through when giving birth. And as an apology to my own mother who went through the torture twice."

The women sat laughing as Sam grabbed the bottle of Scotch from Jimmy when he brought it over. He gave up the bottle along with a look of pure sympathy for the boy.

AN: don't forget to read and review - please! Let me know how I'm doing!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Amanda watched Dean's eyes as he hovered over her. She watched the passion in his eyes slowly turn into something bordering on fear and her heart suddenly broke. She knew right then that no woman had really held Dean in a long long time. No matter how many women he'd been with in the past, Dean had not really had a woman truly hold him the same way he held them. She knew he was a phenomenal lover just by the gentleness in his hands and on his lips. But no one had given to Dean the same way he gave to them. And she could tell he'd been hurt recently by a woman; a woman he'd once loved.

Amanda reached up and brushed a hand through his short hair and looked deep in his eyes; to his soul. "I'm not like her Dean. I'm not." She didn't know how else to let him know he could trust her.

Dean continued to hover over her, but she could feel the tremors running through his body by the way he was touching hers. She knew this man had had his share of women, but they were just a release for all the jobs he'd had to endure. She knew he'd never given his heart to anyone; well almost no one. He had given it once, but she'd made the mistake of returning it.

And despite Dean's reputation as a strong feared Hunter; a man who protected the innocent as if they were all his responsibility; Dean Winchester was a very lonely man. As Amanda realized that her hand began to tremble slightly, but she continued to touch him and she pulled him down to touch his cheek with her lips. She just wanted him to know that she was there to do whatever he wanted; whatever he craved; whatever he needed.

It was her touch that finally nailed him, Dean thought. He was tough; he could take on just about anything, but when Amanda touched him like this, knowing just how to comfort him; knew what was in his soul, well, that was it. He knew she was the one and here he was, a Hunter and her a Witch; how could this possibly go any farther? They couldn't have anything even remotely normal between them; yet then again she knew his life just as he knew hers, so maybe they could…maybe he could… maybe…

"I know Mandy; I know." He whispered softly as he brushed his lips across hers.

No one had ever touched him the way she was. Women grabbed him, shoved him, moved him, but they had never really touched him in the way he longed to be touched; and he'd never really allowed them to. Dean was the one always in control no matter how much he let the woman he was with think she was, and if any woman had ever to tried to become too intimate with him, Dean had always put an end to the evening; with one exception; Cassie. And she was the reason why he never let a woman get too close to his heart. He couldn't handle being broken again. But this… now with Amanda, well this was different; Dean wasn't in control anymore and what's more he didn't really want to be.

Dean moved his hand once again from her hair and gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. He didn't usually allow a woman to set the mood for their lovemaking either; he was always considerate of what they may want, of how to please them, but he still lead in their time spent together. And Dean knew that was probably the same for Amanda on a lesser scale as he didn't see her as a wondering soul searching to lose herself in meaningless sexual encounters. But he knew if and when she did enjoy sex, it was always on her terms.

And right now neither Dean nor Amanda was in control. They were both in unfamiliar territory, despite how much one or both may be experienced in these matters.

Dean winced when he realized he was resting on top of her with his injured left side and his left leg was between hers as they lay on the bed. Their bodies were touching from knee to breast and the only thing he could think was even though he was in some pain, he also didn't want to be dead weight on top of her.

"I'm fine Dean. I can take your weight." She whispered in his ear as his cheek was resting against hers. She kissed his cheek and was relieved when he turned his head to press his lips to hers once again.

She felt him smile against her lips and she was happy he was moving forward; she moaned against his lips as he teased her mouth with his tongue. God she thought, the man's tongue was so damn good at this! She loved feeling his tongue exploring hers.

Dean loved the feel of her fingers as both of her hands found their way around his neck bringing him down harder on her mouth as well as her body. He moved his left hand to her waist where his fingers brushed the bare skin when he lifted the tail of her shirt. He breathed in her gasp of pleasure as his palm found the flat of her stomach and his fingers moved over the skin of her hip. She shivered under him and he could feel her skin as the gooseflesh sprang up under his hand.

Her mouth was really soft and it was hot against his tongue as she opened again for him and Dean slowly moved his tongue over hers, sliding out over her lips and back in; then he pulled her bottom lip back between his teeth again as he tasted her. And she was tasting him, curling her tongue around his, indicating she wanted to move forward. And that was just fine with Dean. He moved his hand up over her shirt to the top and slowly began undoing the buttons moving down one at a time. As he undid each button, he pressed an open-mouthed kiss on each patch of skin he exposed after each button. She was really trembling under him now even though the room was comfortable and the air conditioner was silent.

Dean finally had all the buttons undone and he moved each side of her shirt away to reveal her bra underneath; it was all lacy and soft and…Dean blinked…it was purple; God he thought, it was this amazing shade of deep purple and it was so friggin' hot. His tongue slipped out to wet his suddenly dry lips as he took in the sight of her breasts held in behind this bra. Dean had seen his fair share of women's lingerie and normally he'd dismissed the items as a necessary evil to get past during his sexual maneuvers; but this bra had his utmost attention. He ran a finger along the upper edge and across the swell of her breasts as he moved his head close to her lips.

"Purple is my favorite color." He smirked as he gently kissed her full on her pouty mouth.

Amanda smiled as she returned his kiss. "Then you're gonna love the rest of the ensemble."

He raised one eyebrow as he looked back down at the curve of her breasts straining against the lacey fabric with each breath she took. "Panties match, don't they?" He grinned at the thrill that gave him.

Amanda just smiled at him as she moved a hand from around his neck to rest against his upper chest; against his heart. She could feel the steady rhythm of his heart beating against the palm of her hand; then she slowly moved her hand lower to slide over his jeans down to his crotch to feel the hardness of him pressing against the fabric. Dean moaned at her touch and it was his turn to shiver. She smiled again as she reached up and flicked her tongue across his bottom lip, sucking on it as she kept her hand over him feeling him throb against her palm.

Dean was just about ready to forget he'd even thought about moving slowly as he moaned and moved to position himself more comfortably over her when she suddenly realized his injuries were giving him some pain in his current position whenever he moved.

"Dean; lay back down. Let me do the work." She said her arms going around him to hold onto his arms to prevent him from moving over her any farther.

Dean couldn't believe the thrill he felt at the change of position. He turned to lie on his side and then he rolled backwards onto his back as Amanda followed his movements to position herself over him straddling his hips.

Dean grinned because now he had both of his hands at his disposal and he instantly put them to work by taking her face into them and pulling her down to plant a deep kiss over those soft pick lips of hers. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss; feeling himself grow even harder against her, there was a banging on the motel room door that he just about ignored until the very distinctly male voice boomed through the door.

"Open up Witch! We know you're in there!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Amanda froze; she knew that voice. _Was another member of her family being used? She thought. _She quickly grabbed at her shirt and started to franticly try buttoning it up again as Dean grabbed her by her hips to hold onto her.

"What the hell?" He said when he saw her reach for the gun he had stashed under his pillow. "Who is it?" He added as he reached out for her hand that was now holding his colt 1911.

"I think I know." Is all she said as she let him take the gun from her hand. She'd managed to re-button her shirt, albeit badly Dean noticed with a slight grin. She reached for one of her blades that were sitting on the nightstand.

Dean slowly followed her as she jumped up from the bed and moved towards the door. Just as she reached for the doorknob, Dean reached out and covered her hand with his; stopping her.

"You better let me. Your umm, your shirt isn't quite right." He grinned again at her as she looked at first confused then mortified when she looked down at her shirt.

"Crap!" She moaned. "Okay." She placed her blade between her teeth pirate style and stepped behind the door to hide as she started working on her buttons again.

Dean quietly reached for the doorknob with his left hand, his gun now held firmly in his right in plain view as he pulled the door open. Standing just outside the room were two men, one on each side of Sam. The two were doing their best to keep Sam upright and on his feet.

Both men were tall but no where near Sam's height as he slouched against them allowing them to support his full weight. At first Dean thought something bad had happened to Sam and was about to reach out for his brother, when Sam chose that moment to raise his head up from his chest and look at Dean through red bleary eyes. Sam was drunk; very drunk. Dean relaxed at that. Thank God, not attacked; Sam wasn't hurt; just drunk.

"Sorry." The taller more solidly built darker haired of the two guys said as he adjusted his hold on Sam and taking in Dean's bare torso with the bandages to his face and side. "We thought this was my aunt's room. This is Mandy's room, isn't it?" The guy was looking at Dean, but seemed to be talking to someone behind him.

"Yes, it's mom's room." Came a muffled reply from somewhere behind the three men.

The two men were watching Dean; sizing him up Dean thought, as he continued to just stand there looking back at them. _Aunt Mandy? Were these possibly her two nephews, the cops that were the absent husbands of two of Mandy's all female entourage from yesterday? _

Before Dean could ask any questions, Sam grinned at him and decided he wanted to talk now. "Hey Dean! Man…you'se…you gots to meet Ryon's cuzzins dude. They're…awe…awesome! This one is Chip and this one's Dale!" Sammy laughed a deep throated laugh at his own joke.

The two guys just glared at Dean. "Dean? Is this your brother?" The other guy with blonde hair asked. " 'Cause if he is we'd like to put him down somewhere and soon. The guy's a lot heavier than he looks."

Amanda poked her head out from behind Dean. "Dusty? Rick? What the hell happened to Sam and where's Ryon?" She looked at the three standing on the doorstep as she clutched her knife in her left hand hidden behind Deans back.

"Mandy? Could you get your boy toy here to move aside so we can get Paul Bunyan here inside. Ryon's behind us and the girls are still back at the bar helping out Jimmy. We can have a sharing and caring moment after we get the big guy unloaded." The first guy, Rick said as he shifted again under Sam's dead weight. Rick was no slouch, he was a cop after all, but this guy Sam was seriously built like a friggin' Mack truck, all solid muscle and being drunk wasn't helping to lighten his weight load.

"Oh yeah; sorry." Amanda reached out and gently but firmly slipped her arm around Dean's waist and pulled him back so the boys could push into the room with Sam between them. "Put him on the bed, guys."

The two half carried half dragged Sam over to the bed and carefully lowered him down to sit on the bed while Ryon followed them into the room, closing the door behind her. She rushed over to help settle Sam back as he started to fall backwards.

"Thanks guys." Amanda said to her nephews. As she took in the two men staring at Dean she said, "Rick…Dusty, this is Dean Winchester and I guess you've met his brother Sam. Dean these are my nephews Rick and Dusty, married to Jennifer and Sara you met last night." She paused as Rick and Dusty stood with their arms crossed over their chests looking at Dean. "And Dean is not a boy toy." She added, tightening her grip around Dean.

"At least not yet." Ryon added smiling as she took in her mother's messy mis-buttoned blouse and tousled hair.

Amanda gave her daughter the eye while Dean, taking in the way the two guys were watching him, wrapped his arm around Amanda's waist, his gun still in his right hand. Ryon took in the possessive gesture and continued to smile at them. They were both totally gone over the other, she thought.

"Umm, Mom did you forget how to dress yourself since I last saw you?" She asked innocently. She knew both Dusty and Rick had also noticed her mother's slightly messy appearance as well as Dean's naked torso.

Amanda looked down at her shirt and realized as she'd tried to correct her first buttoning job, she'd done an even worse job and it now looked like a two year old had done it for her. "Damn it!" She muttered.

Dean looked down at her shirt and full on smiled at her. He bent down and captured her surprised mouth as everyone in the room, with the exception of Sam, watched them.

"Okay; on that note I think we'll head back to the bar and our girls since Sam's in your hands now." Dusty said smiling at his aunt. "But hey Dean, you might want to watch your step there with our aunt." He added when he noticed how Amanda responded to Dean.

Dean looked at both guys taking in their size and stature. Then he smiled; he liked them. "Let me guess, if I hurt her, you'll both hurt me?"

"No; if you hurt her, _she'll _hurt you." Dusty answered grinning.

"Yeah, but then we'll hunt you down and just kill you. We're cops, we know where to stash the bodies." Rick added smiling at the pair. "Aunt Mandy can take care of herself, dude." He stuck out his hand in a show of goodwill. He liked this guy even if he was younger than his aunt, he had some years on him in his attitude and Rick was very impressed with the way Dean was keeping a protective arm around her.

Dean laughed as he handed his gun to Amanda and took the hand offered to him and shook it. Then he took Dusty's as he extended his too. "Man, I'm learning that by the minute." Dean looked back at Amanda and smiled at her embarrassment. "So what the hell happened to my brother? You guys do this to him?" He asked pointing to Sam.

"Nope. This is all on Ryon and from what I gathered, all the girls helped her. Seems they tortured the poor guy with 'girl talk' for the last three hours; and according to Jimmy they did such a good job that Sam decided it was better to get drunk than shoot himself." Dusty said taking in Sam who was now trying to sing AC/DC's 'Back in Black'; badly. "The guy's not very good with the tone, but he knows all the words to the classics. He really had everyone rockin' to 'Highway to Hell' back at the bar though."

"That's my boy." Dean remarked proudly.

"Well, we'll let Ryon explain everything. We're gonna head back to the bar and help Jimmy close up." Rick said when Sam had quieted down some. "Mandy, we're meeting tomorrow at noon to do another search in the woods for Brenda and Ray. I've got a couple my bloodhounds coming along."

"Awesome; dogs. Just what we need." Ryon replied dryly. She knew her mother wouldn't want any animals involved. They could end up being a distraction instead of a help.

"Doggsss…where's the d'ggies?" Sam asked suddenly sitting up and looking around. "Deanss…s'not gonna like doggies anywheres near hiss baby." He focused in on Ryon. "Ryon, we gotta not…not let the doggies near Dean's car. Dean doesn't do do'ggies." Sam suddenly giggled like a girl. "Doesn't do doggies…that's funny…"

"Oh boy, dean. Looks like Sam's gonna have one hell of a hangover in the morning." Rick laughed as Sam flopped back down on the bed as suddenly as he'd sat up. "We'll see you guys in the morning." He added as he and dusty left the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Okay Ryon, so why did you torment poor Sam?" Amanda asked; she finally had managed to get her shirt buttoned the right way and was now running a brush through her silky light brown hair. "And if I find out Dean put you up to it, you're gonna wish you were never born young lady." She added as she waved the hairbrush first at her daughter then at Dean who was leaning against the dresser next her.

"Born…? Oh God 'Manda, I'm sooo s'rry for what you wen through…" Sam mumbled, trying to sit up.

Amanda looked at Sam like he'd sprouted a second head. She looked at Ryon as her daughter blushed deep red. _Do not tell me you and the others tortured this poor boy with childbirth stories? No wonder he got himself drunk. You are in so much trouble girl._

Ryon ducked her head as she tried her best to look sorry, but she couldn't stop giggling when she remembered the way Sam's eyes glazed over at the remembered stories. _Sorry Mom. Really, but we just couldn't help it._

_Just how much did you let this boy drink to get him this drunk?_

Dean took in the way the two women were just looking at each other and he knew they had to be talking telepathically again; and he figured Ryon was getting an earful from Amanda.

"Um, Amanda, don't be too hard on Ryon; it was my idea." Dean said quietly, but in the silence of the room he thought he sounded unbelievably loud.

Amanda turned to face him. "This was your idea? To torture your brother or to get him wasted?"

"Well, um the torture I guess; the wasted part is just a bonus." He laughed at his own joke, but after seeing the look Amanda was giving him he thought maybe she wouldn't see it as funny right now. But damn, he thought. She was so beautiful when she was mad; he just wished she wasn't mad at him for too long. "Hey look Mandy, we're guys okay? He was mothering me to death and so I told Ryon I'd pay her and that I'd stay put if she got back at Sammy for me." Dean smiled that wickedly charming grim of his to try and melt through her icy façade. He didn't think it was working though.

"And you think that by confessing you're saving Ryon from the chopping block?" Amanda asked. She was so not gonna be suckered in by that smile of his. Not this time.

"Um, yeah?" Dean replied. "She was just doing it for me and she did a fabulous job. You gotta admit, Sam is truly feeling tortured right now."

Amanda looked at Dean then she turned to stare down Ryon. Then she turned back to look at Dean. Unbelievable, she thought. "And just exactly how much did you offer to pay her for her work?" Amanda asked, slowly grinning at him. Okay, she had to admit it was funny.

"I'm not sure we ever agreed on a price, but whatever she asks for will probably be worth it. Just look at him!" Dean pointed out the way Sam was alternating between snoring loudly and jerking around to the music in his head and coming awake to sing whatever tune was playing. "Right Ryon?"

"Yep!" Ryon replied proud of her achievement. "But when he sobers up, please don't tell him I was in on it. I think I kind of like the big lug." She moved to rest a hand on Sam's chest just over his heart.

Dean blinked at the gesture. He did the same thing when he needed to feel Sam was still with him. When Sam slept, Dean would touch him over his heart to be sure he wasn't dreaming and that Sam really was still with him. He'd never admit that to anyone, least of all Sam. He smiled as he realized just how much Ryon really did care about Sam. Damn, they'd been there all of maybe 36 hours and here they were, Dean falling for Amanda and Ryon falling for Sam.

"He'll be fine Amanda. He probably only had one or two beers before he switched to the hard stuff and then he probably only had one shot. Sam is incredibly bad at holding his hard liquor." Dean added as he watched the way Sam sort of curled his body in sleep towards Ryon's hand.

Ryon agreed. "Yes. He was drinking beer at first then when we moved to the childbirth horror stories, he switched to Scotch. He only had one good swig down before his eyes totally glazed over. So Sara called Rick and Dusty to come help me get him home, 'cause there was no way us girls could have lugged him home."

Amanda sighed as she watched Sam laying there on her bed alternating between snoring and coming awake enough to sing some song off-key. "The boy really can't carry a tune, can he?" She smiled at the other two.

"No!" Dean agreed laughing.

Amanda continued to smile as she walked over to Sam lying on the bed. _Move your hand Ryon, please._

When Ryon moved her hand away from Sam's chest, Amanda placed her own hand there and as both Dean and Ryon watched a bright blue-white light emanated from her hand to slowly dissolve into Sam's body. When she pulled her hand away Sam opened his eyes and blinked several times as he slowly sat up and looked around.

"What the hell happened?" He asked completely sober and looking between Amanda, Ryon and Dean.

Dean's mouth dropped open as he took in the miracle hangover/drunk cure that Amanda had just laid on his baby brother. The woman could heal; she could cure. _And yet she couldn't heal me, he thought. Why can't she cure me?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, so you're gonna actually trust me and let Sam stay with me in my motel room?" Ryon asked her mother once again. She was still in shock that her mother hadn't demanded she stay with her and let Sam and Dean take her room.

"Again yes Ryon. It's only logical that one of us is with each of them just in case Brenda or whoever is doing this decides to divert from Dean to Sam."

"Um, we _can _take care of ourselves guys." Sam said, watching the two women. "Been doing it all my life." He looked over at Dean as Dean looked back at him. Yes, all of Sam's life practically minus the first six months.

"I know, but this is my family doing this and I'm responsible for that. So you two get babysitters while you're here." Amanda replied. "Besides you both aren't complaining that much about it."

Sam smiled at that. She had him there; he definitely wasn't complaining, and he knew without looking at Dean exactly what he was thinking. "No, I guess we're not gonna complain."

"Good because you don't have a choice anyway." Amanda smiled at Sam.

Dean laughed as he stretched out on the bed with his back against the headboard. Amanda was sitting on the floor between the bed and the motel room door, cleaning the Solomon Blades as she talked. She had effectively put herself between him and danger, he thought. Something he would have normally done. With anyone else, Dean would have been upset, but for some reason, it didn't mind that it was Amanda.

"Besides Ryon, It's not you I'm trusting. It's Sam. And Sam," Amanda said as she moved her eyes from Ryon to Sam. "I'm giving you free reign and encouraging you to try your best to torture Ryon, as you know payback; for the shit you put up with back in the bar earlier."

"Okay; so you're gonna punish me; I get that. Fine and dandy." Ryon sniffed as she winked at Sam who just laughed out loud at the two women. "But what about Dean?"

"What about Dean?" Amanda asked not looking up from her work.

"Are you gonna punish him too?" Ryon asked mischievously; her eyes twinkling.

"Yeah, are you gonna punish me too?" Dean asked grinning down at her making her turn to look at him.

"Oh I have plans for Dean, don't worry." Amanda grinned back at him.

""Well, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but for some reason whatever you have planned I don't think Dean will see it as punishment." Ryon replied, grinning at the way Dean was looking at her mother. "I don't trust either of you to behave appropriately."

"And you shouldn't." Sam added. "Dean's really good at getting what he wants, but considering he's wounded I don't think they can get into too much trouble."

"You didn't really see what the y both looked like when we brought you back drunk."

Both Sam and Ryon were sitting at the table near the window. "Yeah about that...I'm guessing that my being tortured by Ryon and your family of women was basically Dean and Ryon's plan. Are either of you gonna come right out and tell me why? Ummm?" Sam turned to look at Ryon then to Dean. "Anyone? Maybe Amanda could fill me in?"

Amanda laughed. Sam really was adorable and a perfect match for Ryon. She hoped that neither one of them messed this up; she had a plan after all; and in the long run she would need both Sam and Dean to look out for Ryon. They would need help fighting their destiny and Ryon would just need help when…

Amanda shook herself mentally; so not the time to think about that. "Look we can worry about blame later. Right now, bottom line…I trust Sam with you and Sam trusts me with Dean. So we go with these arrangements until we need to alter them." Amanda looked up at Sam and Ryon. "Besides, no one is gonna torture Sam ever again. Right?" She added eyeing both Dean and Ryon.

"Yes ma'am." Ryon and Dean said in unison.

"Okay, so we forget about that for now; how about we discuss the way you healed me, but can't seem to do anything for Dean's wounds. What's up with that?" Sam asked leaning back in his chair and watching Amanda.

Amanda sighed. She dropped the polishing cloth to the floor as she replaced the first blade she'd been working on back in its sheath and laying it on the foot of the bed behind her. She picked up the cloth again and the second blade and started working on it.

She knew all of them would be questioning her power to heal Sam and not being able to help Dean, but she didn't really have an answer for them. She'd been racking her brain and while she had a clue as to the reason she couldn't come right out and tell them why she felt that was the reason. It was too…embarrassing.

"Look guys, I'm not totally sure why my healing magic isn't working on Dean, but my best guess is…it's some kind of link, a bound that's connecting us to each other."

"You mean like a binding link?" Ryon asked, leaning forward in her chair. She hadn't even thought of that.

"Yes sort of."

"What's a binding link?" Sam asked.

"A binding link has several uses. For demons it's a way to lock themselves into a human host and not be banished from said host." Amanda replied still working the cloth lovingly over the blade in her hand.

"But in this case?" Dean asked sitting forward a little on the bed and holding his side as he moved closer to Amanda.

Amanda sighed again. How did she explain this to them?

"In this case, you're linked to Dean because you let him in; inside. You let Dean touch you back at the bar yesterday and you let your guard down when he did. That touch bound you to Dean, didn't it?" Ryon asked, slightly shocked. She'd heard of this, but had never seen it happen before. This could be a very big problem for both her mother and Dean.

"Just because Dean touched Amanda, they're linked?" Sam asked. That didn't seem like something all that special to him. "Something so simple could actually really be blocking your powers on him?"

Amanda looked up at Sam knowing Dean's eyes were also on her. "Yes…when I opened myself, dropped my guard a little, my soul was open to Dean because I…I am… kind of vulnerable right now and in doing that I kinda blocked my active magic from having any affect on him. I'm still able to feel his emotions, his pain. In fact that being a passive power has kind of intensified; become much stronger with Dean."

"So because I touched you, you can't use any physical or active magic on me?"

"Yes."

"And you're passive powers of empathy and reading me have grown instead?"

"Yes." Amanda turned to look at Dean, and she could read his mind right then too. Unbelievable, she thought. The man was totally unbelievable. "Oh, my God Dean. You find out I can't heal you, but I can read your mind and that's what you're thinking about?"

"Well yeah." Dean drawled wagging his eyebrows at her and giving her that painfully impossible to resist smile of his.

"What? What'd I miss?" Ryon asked totally at a loss here.

Sam laughed out loud and hard. "I don't need to be a mind reader to know what Dean's thinking. He's my brother."

"Well then explain this to me 'cause I'm not a mind reader." Ryon said.

God sometimes Ryon was totally naïve. "Sex Ryon!" Amanda blurted out turning a nice shade of pink from the embarrassment. "Dean is thinking about sex!"

"Oh…" Ryon looked between Dean and her mother. "Oh!" She exclaimed as she finally got it and she too turned a nice pink color.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So Ryon, we should probably be going so we can get some sleep; big day tomorrow or later today." Sam said as he got up from his chair and moved to open the door in preparation of leaving the room and heading for Ryon's room next door.

His mind wasn't on being alert after the conversation they'd just had and so Sam didn't see it coming; none of them had seen it coming until it was too late. Just as Sam opened the door, a taller man who stood on the other side of the door brought a large hunting knife down and into Sam's chest.

Sam stumbled back from the door in total shock looking down at the blade buried up to its hilt in his chest. He looked between the blade and the man standing before him. What the hell? Was his only thought just before he collapsed onto the floor just inside the room.

"Sam!" Dean yelled pulling his gun from under his pillow and turning to take aim at the intruder as he was jumping up from the bed.

But Dean never had the chance to fire as he saw the golden blade flying through the air. Amanda was still on the floor, but now she was crouched on her feet with the other blade in her right hand as her left arm was still extended from her throwing the first blade.

Dean was off the bed and rushing to Sam to pull him back into the room and away from the demon outside as the demon collapsed in a heap with an inner fire blinking in and out until it finally stopped. Ryon rushed to Dean's side to help with Sam.

Amanda jumped up from her position on the floor and still clutching the other blade she rushed out the door and past the demon's body to check for others.

"De'n?" Sam choked out.

"Don't talk Sammy; I've gotcha. You're gonna be fine." Dean clutched Sam to him as he watched the startled look in Sam's eyes.

This wasn't happening; not now, Dean thought. He'd just got Sam back and he couldn't be losing him again; not now.

"Dean…" Sam coughed, a trickle of blood sliding down the side of his mouth. He struggled to breathe. He drew in a breath, but he didn't release it. He looked up at Dean and then he just stopped; he stopped breathing.

"Sam!" Dean yelled tightening his hold on his brother. "Don't you dare give up! Stay with me!" But Dean could feel the life seeping out of his brother's body as he became heavier. "Sammy! No!" _Please God no! Not Sammy!_

Ryon could feel the tears falling from her eyes as she took in the wound in Sam's chest. "Sam?" She scrambled to try and staunch the blood flowing from the wound with her hands. "Mom!"

AN: Please please please please please please give me some of those reviews - good or bad - I can take it! I'm just dying to know what everyone thinks!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Amanda didn't see any other intruders and was about to search the parking lot of the bar when she heard Ryon crying out for her. She ran back inside the room stepping over the body of the demon to find Dean clutching Sam like a lifeline. From the doorway Amanda could tell Sam was gone. She rushed over to them and knelt down beside Ryon who had been trying to stop the flow of blood still coming from Sam's chest.

"Ryon!" Amanda reached out and grabbed one of Ryon's arms. "Ryon listen to me hon. I need you to get rid of the demon before someone sees him." She gently shook her daughter to get her full attention. "Understand?"

Ryon nodded as she pulled away from Sam and her mother and slowly stood. "Okay."

Amanda smiled as she watched her daughter move slowly to the demon in the doorway. Then Amanda turned her full attention to Dean. The man was sitting there on the floor holding Sam in a death grip; no tears, nothing.

"Dean?" She asked gently.

Dean looked at Amanda. "Mandy?" His voice began to quiver. "He's…he's gone." Then Dean lost it. "You can save him, I know you can! You're not a normal witch, so you have to save him. Please…I'll do anything!" He reached out and grabbed her by her wrist and held her tight.

Amanda looked at Dean; she could see his despair, she could feel it; hell she knew it herself actually. She'd been there; felt what he was feeling. She knew the feeling of losing a loved one; one who was almost an extension of your own self. She knew what he felt and she knew how to help.

It was true. She was not a normal witch, if there was even such a thing. She could save Sam; but to do that would mean exposing the truth of exactly who and what she was. Ryon didn't know this side of her mother; she knew that she could cure the sick and injured, but she didn't know this side.

The only person who knew Amanda's secret was her own mother; and she had told her to guard this secret; keep it hidden; never let anyone know. Amanda could do this though; she could save Sam; she had saved others before. Her mother was the only witness to the secret power Amanda possessed to resurrect the dead.

Amanda watched as Ryon moved her hands over the body of the demon without actually touching it. As she did that, the body vanished in a brilliant volley of bright white light. Ryon quickly picked up the Solomon Blade and closed the door and dropped the latch to lock it. She rushed back to Sam's side to crouch down next to her mother.

"Please, Mandy. He's…he's my brother." Dean spoke quietly, but he never let go of her wrist. "He's all I really have…please." Dean slowly let out a muffled sob as he continued to plead with her clutching Sam with one arm and holding onto Amanda with the other.

Amanda sighed; to bring someone back from the dead meant only one thing in the Wiccan world; the only witches who could possibly do that were grand high witches. And only a select few could do that. Not even a rogue witch could resurrect the dead without demonic intervention.

To do this Amanda would be risking everything; not just for herself, but for her family as well as for Sam and Dean. She looked into those beautiful green eyes that had had her at the first words out of his mouth and she knew she would do this. She knew her heart would not allow her to let either of these boys down; it was all a part of His plan. They had a destiny. Both Winchester brothers had work yet to do and they were no where near the end of their journey.

"Let me go Dean," Amanda said. "And both of you need to move back."

Both Ryon and Dean looked at her; not understanding at first. "You can do this?" Ryon asked. She knew what bringing Sam back meant. She knew what it meant for her mother.

Amanda nodded and gently tried to pull her hand out of Dean's grip, but he held her even tighter. "Please Dean, let me go. I _can _save him, but I need both hands." She spoke softly to him.

"Like you cured his drunkenness?" Dean asked, watching her; knowing she would not lie to him. He knew this would be different; much harder on Amanda.

"No." She replied evenly. "That was simple magic. This will require all of me; all of my energy."

Dean quickly realized what she was saying. "Then you are a grand high witch." He had hoped that were the case when he'd witnessed her powers; he knew witches; knew a lot more than he ever let on.

Amanda was surprised; he knew about rogue witches _and _grand high witches? Dean had something he was hiding about how he knew so much about her and her kind.

Ryon was watching the two of them and wasn't sure what Dean knew; but she didn't really care right now. "Momma? You're…is..,is it true?" Then something else dawned on her; her mother's nightmares. She'd sensed that they were always about her, about Ryon…dying. She knew her mother dreamed of losing Ryon, but she'd always thought that they were just nightmares. They weren't real unless… "Oh my God, I died…three years ago I died. I always thought…but…I died three years ago and you brought me back, didn't you?"

Amanda felt the tears stinging her eyes as she listened to Ryon; as Ryon was putting two and two together and getting the right answer. This is what she'd dreaded having revealed. She didn't want to face this; not now. She cleared her throat and sniffed to fight the tears that were just on the verge of overtaking her. Look, we will talk later I promise." She pleaded with Ryon silently as she looked at her daughter. When Ryon reluctantly nodded, Amanda turned to Dean. "Dean I need my hand."

Dean, just now realizing that he still had Amanda's wrist in his grip, let go quickly. He winced when he saw the red marks on her skin from his fingers; she would have some major bruising there later. He slid back from Sam slightly as Ryon moved back a bit from Amanda. Dean watched as she moved closer to Sam and placed both of her hands over the wound in Sam's chest; around the blade still embedded there. A deep silvery blue light began pulsing in and out of Sam's body.

"Dean..pull the blade out slowly, but don't touch him." Amanda instructed never taking her eyes off what she was doing.

Dean reached out and slowly pulled the blade from Sam flinching a little at the sound the blade made as it scraped against Sam's breast bone. He dropped the knife on the floor next to him as he again moved back.

Amanda moved her hands over the wound as the light coming from her fingers continued moving in and out of Sam's body. It seemed like only seconds before the wound slowly began disappearing. And at the same time blood began appearing on the front of Amanda's shirt in the same place as Sam's wound had been. She grunted at the rush of pain she felt, but she didn't stop. Just as the last of the wound disappeared from Sam, Amanda could feel the blood of her new wound filling her lungs and making it harder to breath. She choked and a drop of blood fell from between her lips as she continued to take his wound into herself.

She slowly pulled away from Sam and moved to the side of him to fall backwards unconscious to the floor. As Amanda fell, Sam suddenly gasped out a breath and bolted upright. Dean reached out to grasp Sam to him.

"Sammy!"

"Dean…I can't breathe." Sam said as Dean clutched at him. As Dean slowly let go of him, Sam asked, "Why am I on the floor?" He turned to see Amanda lying next to him. "Oh God what happened to Amanda?"

Ryon moved quickly to reach out and turn her mother over onto her back and she watched as the blood staining her mother's shirt began to disappear as it had from Sam's.

"Is she dying?" Ryon raised her tear filled eyes to look at Dean.

"Yes," He answered gently. "But she will come back Ryon."

"How can you be sure?" Ryon knew about the lore on grand high witches bringing back the dead, but that's all she knew. She never seen one do this; she didn't know really what to expect.

"Because she is a grand high witch, Ryon. You know what they can do…" He looked at Ryon; maybe…she only knew about. "You've never seen one? Bring someone back?"

"No…" Ryon slowly answered wiping away a tear.

Dean understood; he couldn't lose his brother anymore than Ryon truly wanted to lose her mother. "When they bring someone back they have to take on whatever it was that killed that person. She will wake up soon, I promise."

"Amanda can bring back the dead?" Sam asked looking between Dean and Ryon. "Who the hell died?" He wasn't sure but he thought he wasn't going to like the answer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What the hell do you mean, I was dead Dean?" Sam bellowed as he paced the room. He looked first at Dean then to Amanda who was sitting on the foot of the bed with her head in her hands.

Amanda really wished that everyone would just leave her alone so she could think. It was nearly two in the morning and she wasn't in any mood to keep talking about this over and over. She'd had a hard enough time explaining things to Ryon about what happened three years ago and now Ryon knew she'd lied to her; and she wasn't talking to her now, so she knew she had a lot to tell Ryon least of which is her true reasons for what she had done.

She'd had to live with this secret about what she had done and how she'd broken a sacred code among her lineage to never do magic for personal reasons, no exceptions. But she could not; no she would not lose her daughter, so she had saved her and what's more Amanda knew in her heart that she wouldn't change a thing. She'd do it the same if she had it to do it all over again.

Amanda continued to listen to Sam and Dean as Ryon explained what had happened to Sam the best she could. Amanda was beginning to feel a little detached from all of them. She needed to sleep; she needed to go for a walk; hell she needed a drink.

"Okay Sam try and stay focused here." Ryon answered for Dean. "One minute you weren't dead and the next you were." She said it slowly as if she were speaking to a child.

Dean almost laughed out loud when he saw Sam turn to Ryon and give her is infamous bitch face.

"Really Ryon?" He said to her.

"Look Sam I'm sorry. I'm just a wee bit upset here." Ryon paused. "Okay, first I find out my mother seems to have the ability to resurrect the dead. A power that only a very select powerful few grand high witches would have and then I find out she has kept that power a secret from everyone especially me; and then I find out you're not her first resurrection."

Dean looked at Ryon. "What do you mean?"

"Apparently my mother brought me back from the dead three years ago. Something that is strictly forbidden in our line; but hey who really cares if she broke an oath, as long as I'm here, right? I mean by being brought back, I'm sure it doesn't mean she screwed up any history or time continuum thingy. Right? Mom?"

Amanda could hear the sarcasm coming off her daughter in spades. She chose to ignore her and maybe it would all just go away.

"Yo mom? You awake over there?"

Sam turned to look at Amanda. "Amanda?" He asked.

At not getting any reaction from her, Sam looked at Dean who stood next to Amanda. Dean slowly sat down on the bed next to her. He was holding his arm across his stomach favoring his left side. He made no move to touch her; just let her know he was there for her.

"Mom, you ignoring me over there?"

Amanda couldn't help the muffled, "Yes," that escaped her. She knew it was childish, but right now she didn't care. She lifted her head to look at Ryon. "I am so trying my damnedest."

Ryon blinked. Not the reaction she'd expected. Usually her and her mother could argue with the best of them, so she'd expected some pouting and then some real anger at Ryon for behaving like a child; which she was not. Technically, in her own opinion of course. It didn't matter if she was acting childish, there was a principal involved here. Suddenly for the life of her, Ryon couldn't really see why she was so damned mad about this, but she was.

Sam didn't know what was going on here between the two of them, but he personally was glad he was alive. "Ryon stop it. I'm sure you're mother was just doing what she thought was right back then. And you should be thankful you're alive. I know I am."

"Doing what she thought was right?" Ryon said jumping up from her chair to stand toe to toe with Sam. Damn it, she thought. I need a frickin' step stool here just to look the man in the eye. And hell that made her mad too. She raised her head to look up at him. "I should be dead Sam! It's our code to never do anything for personal gain. And bringing me back is totally in the personal gain category!"

"Stop it!" Amanda snapped jumping up herself and almost knocking Dean to the floor. "Right now, right this very minute young lady, I am really really angry with you. When I saved you, I didn't think about anything or anyone, least of all our code; I just did it! And believe it or not I didn't think about myself when I did. I was only thinking of you and that you didn't deserve to die, not because of me. If you want to call that personal gain, then fine go ahead; but let's get one straight here; I did what I did because it was the right thing to do and I would do it the same way again if given half the chance; without hesitation. So, if you want to be mad at me, then fine be mad, but it's time to grow up Ryon Logan. I'm tired of all the crap; all the fighting; everything. I didn't ask to be what I am, and I can't give it away. God, I need a drink.!"

And with those words, Amanda slammed out of the motel room and headed for the closed bar. She knew where Jimmy kept the spare key and right now all she wanted was to get drunk; damn drunk. She'd known this would all come to a head if she saved Sam, but she wasn't sorry for what happened; not now and most definitely not back then.

AN: Thank you so much to DearHart for the reviews! And bring on any and all reviews! I welcome knowing what everyone thinks.!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Dean watched Amanda leave and he turned slowly to look at Ryon. "I don't know what happened between you two in the past, but that woman is your mother and she was only doing what she thought was right. As much as it pains me to say this out loud, I would not be able to live without Sam." Dean turned to look at Sam before continuing. "We've lost our mother and I know we'd give anything to have her back right now. And I know for a fact that woman that you let storm out of here would never be able to live without you." Dean watched Ryon as his words hit her. "And weren't you the one upset when you didn't know whether she'd live or die when she saved Sam?" He saw Ryon nod her head slowly at his question. "You don't want to live without her either. So you need to get over whatever is messed up here between you two; I mean, how would you react if you thought you'd just had your own daughter taken away from you? If you had the power to bring her back, wouldn't you do it?"

"Dean." Sam said. He understood what Dean was saying, but Ryon had her reasons and she probably just needed time to adjust.

"No Sam, he's right. If my daughter did to me what I've done to my mother, I, well I don't know what I'd do, but I do know I'd lover her because she's my daughter and I'd save her. I know from my mother and my grandmother how close the women in our line are, so I know I messed up with my mother a long time ago; it's not her fault I died and I should be thankful I'm here; with her, because she still loved me even if I had hurt her." Ryon spoke quietly. Dean was right; her mother loved her and she had done what she'd done because of that love. "I should go talk to her." She added as she got up from her chair by the window.

"No…" Dean said, stopping her. "You need to talk to someone yourself; whatever feelings you have about what happened; you need to talk and there's no one better at chick talks than Sammy here. Talk to him, tell him all about it; he's a really good listener. Trust me he drives me crazy with his emo stuff." Dean smiled at Sam who now threw Dean his bitch face, but then Sam nodded in agreement. "I'll go talk to Amanda." He added, reaching for his T-shirt lying on the dresser.

In all honesty, Sam thought, he probably needed to talk too. It was how he'd learned to deal with things himself. He was able to let everything out and he felt better; and he couldn't always talk with Dean. Dean didn't talk, he would listen then he'd tease Sam, but he never ever talked back about things himself. Dean packed everything away and kept it under lock and key and only when he was injured or sick did Sam ever catch even a small glimpse of Dean's inner turmoil; like with his nightmares.

Ryon smiled at Dean. She could see why her mother was attracted to the man. "She probably went to the bar. Jimmy has a hide-a-key just in case." Ryon looked up at Sam then back at Dean. "And thanks." She added. "You'd make a great dad, Dean."

Dean looked at her then looked over to see Sam nodding in agreement with Ryon. That made Dean grin. "Thanks, I guess." Dean knew though that he didn't need kids; Sam had been hard enough to train when they were growing up. Besides how could he bring a kid into this world they lived in? With all the monsters they faced, the weapons they had, the training and the fighting; no thanks. No kid needed any of that; and he'd never admit it to anyone, but he tried to never think along those lines because truth be told, he knew in his heart he would have loved to be a dad. To be a part of something that was real; a part of him to leave behind in this world when he was no longer in it. Dean gave himself a mental shake; better not to let himself go there.

So instead he pulled his shirt over his head, wincing at the pain in his side and causing Sam to look concerned, but Dean was glad when he didn't comment. Dean sat down on the bed to slip on his boots as he looked at Ryon. "Just…just remember what's important here; your mother loves you above all else."

Ryon looked at him when he raised his eyes to her as he spoke. He was right; men would come and go, but her mother was a constant; always there for her even when she'd done the wrong things for the wrong reasons. Amanda had never given up on Ryon; her mother had raised her on her own and bringing Ryon back may or may not have messed things up, but she was here and nothing was going to change that now. So she decided she would just pull up her big girl panties and get over herself.

"Yeah Dean, you're right. Thanks again." She paused watching Dean tying the laces on his boots. "Mom, she umm, well, she…" Ryon trailed off blushing a little.

Dean looked at Ryon as he finished with his bootlaces. "She what?" He asked standing up and picking up his gun and tucking it in the waist band of his jeans at the small of his back.

"Well Mom doesn't usually drink much, so if she's drinking at all, she may ummm…"

"She what?" Dean asked again.

"If she's drinking, she probably wants to get drunk and fast, and well when she's drunk, which is not often; she'll be either really happy or really pissy; depending on what caused her to get drunk." Ryon finally got out. "And if she's still angry, she'll be throwing things, but if she's happy…or well, not pissy anyway, she'll want to…ummm, you know."

Dean looked slightly surprised by that; now that was good to know, he thought. "Good to know." He smirked. _Really good to know._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stood outside the door of the bar looking in the window at the woman standing in front of the jukebox pushing buttons. He smiled when he heard AC/DC's 'She Shook Me (All Night Long)' begin to play. She had the volume turned down a little so it was at a moderate level, but he could feel every beat through the wood planks of the porch he was standing on. She was a woman after his own heart. He grinned thinking he had an idea exactly what kind of mood she was in.

_She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean… She was the best damn woman I ever seen…_

He opened the door and moved through the room with a comfortable gait, his left arm swinging loosely at his side, with his right still protecting his left side. He watched her standing there, a beer in her hand, and she was moving to the beat of the music. She had her eyes closed and her hips were moving in time to the harsh beat of the song and damn, but she looked so good from this side as he watched her. He could feel himself stirring in his want for her; his need for her.

_She had sightless eyes telling me no lies… Knocking me out with those American thighs… Taking her share had me fighting for air… She told me to come, but I was already there…_

She sensed his presence behind her before he could say anything. She knew it was Dean; she felt him breathing and she knew he was watching her. She smiled a bit wickedly to herself as she added some extra hip thrusts to the song blaring away. She was well into her third beer, having downed the first two in hopes of reaching her goal quickly. She'd wanted to get drunk fast and hard, but that was before Dean had shown up. Now she wanted him. She needed him. She needed to _feel _him. She just wanted to forget the past and she just wanted right now.

She felt him walk up behind her until he was standing so close she could have seen his face in the glass of the jukebox reflecting at her if she were to open her eyes; but she didn't need to; she could see everything in her mind's eye. "Come to drag me back to apologize to my daughter… Dean?"

_The walls start shaking, the earth was quaking… My mind was aching and we were making it…_

Dean hadn't expected her to say anything let alone know it was him, but he realized he should know better by now. He watched her continue to dance seductively against the machine while she knew he was standing directly behind her. God, she was doing this on purpose; and she knew she was getting to him. With a sharp intake of breath, he reached out and in one fluid motion, he grabbed her and whirled her around to face him causing her to lose her grip on her beer bottle sending it crashing to the floor. He pushed her hard against the jukebox, his hips pinning her ass against it as his hands come out to grab her wrists and hold them down on the glass top.

"No." He practically growled at her as he bent down and pressed his mouth over hers, pressing hard, meaning to convey how much he wanted her and he was going to lead this time.

_And you shook me all night long… Yeah, you shook me all night long…_

She pressed back against him, allowing him to invade her mouth with his tongue; letting him taste her. She could feel the need in him too; the need to touch her, to take her right here. She moaned against his mouth as his tongue searched the deep recesses of her mouth tasting the beer on her tongue, the sweet hot softness of it all. She understood his hunger; his need; because she felt that same way about him. There was something here, something raw and untouched between the two of them that was almost primitive in nature. Their need to have someone care about them even if it was for a short time; their need to not be in charge of protecting others, of not having to fight and to just have a few minutes to breath without worrying who could be in jeopardy if they slacked off in their duties.

They both shared the same burdens in life; he had a responsibility for every innocent he needed to save from the monsters, shifters, ghosts and demons he hunted; but most of all he felt responsible for Sam. He needed to watch over his brother.

She understood that, because_ she_ had a responsibility for every innocent _she_ needed to save from the monsters, rogue witches and demons _she_ hunted; but most of all she felt responsible for _Ryon._ She needed to watch over her daughter.

They both had hard responsibilities that would always outweigh their own needs; but right now they both knew that the other needed this.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam watched his brother leave the room. He'd noticed the pain he'd been in just pulling on his shirt. Sam had also noticed Dean's numerous scars, some were old and barely visible now, but he also noticed a couple new ones, still pink covering Dean's back and chest. There was the burn courtesy of Pa Bender on Dean's left shoulder near his collarbone; as well as the small pink scars on his back where he went through the hidden wooden door at the asylum when Sam had shot him.

Sam winced at the memories; Sam had scars of his own, but they were nothing compared to Dean's. Dean got most of his scars from protecting Sam; while Sam's were from when Dean went down protecting Sam. Sam had gown up knowing Dean was indestructible; he'd seen him battered, bruised, even shot and he always came back, just with one more scar to add to his collection. But the events of the past few days; well they were really testing Dean.

Everything that had happened with the Daevas, Meg and then their dad, well they were all eating away at Dean and that only made him more protective of Sam. And Sam could only feel more guilt at both the physical and mental pain Dean was going through.

He sighed as he remembered once again the pain he'd put in his brother's eyes when he'd told him he wanted out of this life. Dean would always do this no matter who needed protecting; and Sam now realized watching his brother leave that he would be staying with Dean for as long as they needed each other; which he had a feeling would be for a long time. Or at least he hoped it would be for a long time.

Sam swallowed hard as he also realized that after almost twenty-three years of taking care of Sam, sacrificing everything for Sam, Dean didn't really have anything of his own. Dean had never, not once during their childhood, complained. Dean had always taken care of Sam and Sam so hated himself right now.

"Well, maybe we should go to your room for that talk. Whatta say Ryon?" Sam asked smiling down at the woman. God, he thought blinking at her. She really has these gorgeous hazel eyes, kind of looked like his own, except hers revealed so much about what was inside her. She was a free spirit, he could see that and she had this gorgeous red hair to boot.

Ryon was very different from Jess. Jess had been tall and blonde and athletic; while Ryon was a little shorter with that red hair and a build that could only be called voluptuous. She was the epitome of a 1940's bombshell pinup girl. And she had these really full really red lips. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea that Amanda was okay with them sharing a room, because Sam suddenly understood exactly how quickly these Logan women could work their way inside you and make you see them; really see them. Damn; Sam was feeling almost sorry for Dean, because if Amanda was even twice as good at this as Ryon based on her being older, then Dean had his hands full right now.

"Sure thing Sammy; sure thing." Ryon replied reaching out and taking his hand in hers.

Sam smiled down at her. "No one but Dean calls me Sammy."

"I'm sorry, would you rather I didn't?"

Sam thought about that. It was true he hated the nickname Dean used most of the time, but when he thought about it Dean only really called him Sammy when he was either teasing him or…or when he was saying 'I love you' to Sam. It was Dean's way of saying it without actually having to say it. Sam secretly decided he liked hearing it from Dean and he kind of felt the same way about it coming from Ryon.

"No." He said his voice husky. "I like it when you say it."

Ryon smiled and reached up on tip toe to plant a kiss on Sam's lips. He wrapped his arms around her and bent slowly to help her reach him. This was nice he thought; this was very nice.

AN: In case you haven't figured it out, I'm a big AC/DC fan. Don't forget those reviews. and to all my followers I hope you are enjoying this. Thank you!


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Amanda allowed Dean to continue leading them through this until she could no longer take it. His tongue was still exploring the depths of her mouth and so she bit down on his bottom lip, hard, tasting his blood as he growled against her teeth. His mouth became harder on hers and she let go of his lip in exchange for the chance to breath. He let go of her wrists and grabbed her waist, lifting her up to sit on the jukebox.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and held him tightly to her. Her head was even with his now and he reached up and fisted his left hand in her hair again, pressing against her head forcing her lips into his, bruising them as they were crushed beneath his. She used her hands to run up his well muscled forearms and she dug her nails into his skin creating tiny marks.

He used his free hand to reach for her shirt and he began the task of undoing those buttons once again, all the while never taking his lips from hers. She held her legs tightly around his waist as she moved to the tail of his shirt and began pulling it over his head breaking their kiss as she pulled his shirt free and tossing it to the floor where her shirt soon joined it. She had removed his gun when she'd felt it behind him and laid it on top of the jukebox next to her as she bent down to drop butterfly kisses over the skin around the bandages on his left side. Dean moaned at her soft touch reaching down to kiss the top of her head. She raised her eyes to meet his.

As he took in the sight of her lips red and swollen along with her eyes so dark the green almost completely eclipsed by the darkness of her pupils, he reached behind her to undo the clasp to her bra.

He continued to hold her gaze as her bra was removed and it joined their shirts on the floor. His eyes were telling her there was no turning back now, they were moving forward and she nodded to him as she saw the words in her mind just as clearly as if he'd spoken to her out loud. There was only this; right now, this moment. There was no stopping, they could pour everything into this one moment; their hurt, their pain their anger, their weaknesses. Everything else stopped but right now. They could walk away from each other later if they chose to, but right now there was no stopping the inevitable. No one was coming to knock on the door, no one was going to pull them apart; no Sam, no Ryon; nothing. They had only now.

Dean, breathing hard, listened to her heart beating against his chest. He knew this was it for him, even if they did walk away from each other, no matter what other women came into his life, this was it for him. Amanda would be the only woman that would touch the one part of his soul no one had ever touched; not Cassie; not even Sam. He didn't care what happened to him in the future anymore, he would always have this.

"I'm not walking away," he whispered against her ear as the next song on the jukebox began to play. "We do this, there is no turning back. I won't just walk away." He didn't just mean the sex, he meant more; much more than that.

"I know Dean." She said using her legs to pull him closer to her. "I'm not asking you to."

"But…" He began.

"I know Dean." She repeated. "I don't expect more than either of us can give the other. We each have our load to carry. Sam is important to you and you have to protect him. He needs you to. I would never come between you and Sam."

"And you have Ryon…she's…yours." He paused. "So all we will have is right now."

"Yes…" She whispered just before capturing his mouth with her own.

Dean gasped at the intense heat he felt when her tongue touched his; his need for her terrified him, because he knew soon he would have to walk away. He'd have to leave her and something inside him just didn't want to let her go. He held her tighter as he broke the kiss to move his head down to kiss one of her breasts.

Amanda gasped herself as he moved to suck on her erect nipple; causing strong ripples of pleasure to course through her. She moaned as he moved from one to the other while his hands were working on her jeans. She could feel his slightly roughened hands sliding over her bare skin pulling her closer, his sucking deepening and sending wave after wave of pleasure coursing through her.

She moved her hands from his arms to reach down for the button on his jeans, but he stopped her by picking her up by her hips, her legs still locked around his waist to gently pull them away so he could remove her jeans. She slowly let him stand her back on her shaky legs as he pulled her jeans down along with her panties. She heard him chuckle as he reached down to pull her boots off before removing the rest of her clothing.

"What?" Her foggy brain asked.

"The panties are purple too." He chuckled again as he came back to grab her waist and pick her up and wrap her legs around his waist for her. "But I don't think Jimmy would be too thrilled about us using his jukebox."

Amanda smiled as she gently said, "There's a bed in the back off the kitchen. Jimmy sometimes sleeps here."

She smiled again as Dean slowly carried her through the kitchen door to the room she pointed out. He opened the door to a small office with a twin bed in the far corner. He smiled as he carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down on top of the blankets. She watched him as he slowly undid his jeans and let them fall to the floor toeing off his boots as he removed the rest of his clothing. She reached out for him as he slowly came down to lie on top of her.

"Weren't you willing to do all the work before?" He questioned as he brought his lips back to suckle on her other nipple.

"That was before, and God help me, but I don't think you'll have too much trouble getting the job done." She whispered back in his ear as she moaned again at the pleasure the man could induce with damned tongue of his.

Dean smiled as he moved back up to kiss her swollen lips. He couldn't help but feel her heat as he pressed down on her, his breath hot on her skin. He loved knowing that he was pleasing her; his body pressing against hers. He kissed her, touched her, felt every shiver she felt; he moved one roughened fingertip to touch her where he most wanted to be.

One thing Dean Winchester knew above all else was just how to please a woman. He never took from a woman more than she had to give and he never left her wanting. He could never give a woman more than the one night so he learned early on that in all fairness, if he was going to have sex, he was going to make sure the woman never felt slighted in any way, especially after his departure from her life. And he was not going to let Amanda have anything less.

So he moved his hand back down below to rub gently as his mouth came back to her nipple using his teeth this time. He gently matched his nipping with his rubbing causing her to moan in complete ecstasy.

He moved gently putting his left knee between hers to spread her legs for him. He moved with such loving slowness that Amanda thought she'd lose her mind. He moved so slow that it was a shock to her when she finally felt him push into her with an intensity that she thought she had actually died then and there. But he gently measured his thrusts until he was moving with the beat of the jukebox music blaring from the bar. She could feel every beat of the song when he thrust deep that she was positive she was really losing her mind.

_My body is burning, it starts to shout… Desire is coming, it breaks out loud… Lust is in cages still storm breaks loose… Just have to make it with someone I choose…_

Amanda gripped the sides of the bed as he moved over her and just when she thought for sure she had died and gone to Heaven he thrust deep one last time and joined her in her orgasm pushing them both over that cliff into the darkness of bliss.

_Here I am, rock you like a hurricane… Here I am, rock you like a hurricane…_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam wanted to lavish as much of his attention on Ryon that he could, but he was beginning to feel slightly light-headed with his own desire. They had barely made it to Ryon's room before they'd launched themselves at each other. Ryon's mouth worked over Sam's with such detail that he didn't think he could survive the night ahead.

Ryon had turned on the radio for some music and Sam had to laugh when he heard 'Centerfield' begin playing. Too funny, he thought while his hands drifted down until he found the roundness of Ryon's ass. God she had a really nice one. And her lips were so soft and full and he knew he could just go on kissing her forever.

_Well, I beat the drum and hold the phone, the sun will come out today… We're born again, there's new grass on the field… Just a-roundin' third and headed for home, it's a brown-eyed handsome man… Anyone can understand the way I feel…_

The need to kiss her surprised him. He hadn't felt this need to kiss another woman since Jess; not even when he'd kissed Lori back in Iowa. He had thought then it would be good to kiss Lori and to move on from Jess, but when he'd kissed her he hadn't felt the desire to move forward and all he'd seen in his mind was Jess' face. Now though, he didn't want to think about Jess, he only wanted to concentrate of Ryon. His whole body was responding as his tongue roamed freely throughout her mouth, searching, tasting and just wanting. This kiss was amazing and now Sam knew he could let go of Jess; he could move on and not feel guilty.

With one deep hitch of his breath, he had removed her shirt and was working on his own as he bent back down to capture her mouth. She helped him with the buttons of his shirt and soon she had it pulled down his powerful forearms and was tossing it on the floor with hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, pressing his mouth down onto the pulse point at the base of her throat.

He needed to remove this bra of hers as quickly as he possibly could. His hands were already wrapped around her so he reached up and undid the clasp of her bra letting it fall to the floor where they stood. When he saw the beautiful curve of her full breasts, his breath again hitched in his throat just before he bent his head to capture one nipple between his even white teeth.

He felt her moan against him as he moved back to claim her mouth. Suddenly he pulled back to reach down and scoop her up into his arms and carry her to the bed, gently laying her down before he pulled off her shoes and toed off his sneakers.

"You're too far away now." Ryon moaned as she reached for him and pulled him down on top of her. She claimed his mouth for herself as she wrapped her arms around those large arms of his. God, she thought. He is gorgeous. All tanned toned skin and his hair flopping around his face; brushing over her skin as he moved down to plant kisses on the flat of her stomach. She could feel her desire deep inside her and she knew she had to have him and soon.

_Oh, put me in Coach, I'm ready to play, today… Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play, today… Look at me, I can be center field…_

Sam could feel her shaking against him as he moved to unbutton her jeans and as he worked them down her body he laid kisses on every inch of skin he exposed in his work. When he had both her jeans and panties out of the way, he sat up on the bed on his knees so she could reach out and undo his jeans. He let her work at pulling them down his legs, and he moved so she could pull them free. She then reached out a hand to touch the bulge in his boxer briefs and Sam started to shake this time.

Ryon was thrilled that she could make Sam shake like that just from her touch and she could feel his desire growing beneath her palm. He was ready and so was she. She pulled his boxers down and let him remove them before he brought his body back down over hers. She was lost in her desire; she had never felt this way with any other man. But it wasn't like she'd had a lot of experience with this in her 22 years.

She knew now what her mother meant when she'd told her she'd know when it was right. Sam was right. She may not ever see him again, but she knew she'd never forget this or the man. He was what she needed to move past her past.

When Sam moved his legs between hers, she reached out and ran a finger over his lips waiting for him to make the next move. As Sam slowly entered her, she felt a lot of her barriers breaking away and as he pushed deeper she knew without a doubt this would probably be the only man she would allow to hold her like this for a while. Even if they never saw each other again, she knew she would always treasure this moment. Sam moved slowly matching his thrusts to her own and she lost all sense of everything as she took in only the here and now.

And when she reached that cliff's edge where she knew she would fall into oblivion, she cried out his name as Sam thrust one last time breaking over the crashing waves and sending her over into the darkness with him by her side.

_Put me in Coach, I'm ready to play, today…_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Amanda opened her eyes, blinking in the dim light drifting into the room from the kitchen beyond the doorway. She stretched languidly as she realized where she was and who she was with. She licked her lips as she moved her eyes over to see Dean lying next to her, wide awake watching her.

"I think maybe we should move back to your motel room just in case." He said slowly, watching her stretch. Loving the way she felt next to him.

"Umm-umm. Sounds good; how do you plan on us doing that?" She asked, stretching a hand out to run her fingers through his short hair. God she loved his hair, his face.

"Well, my clothes are mostly in here, but I think we can grab yours on our way out; as we make a break for it." He chuckled at her thinking of them hiding like crazy teenagers.

"You expect me to run naked through the parking lot to my room?" She gave him an indignant stare. "I am not streaking Dean Winchester."

Dean laughed at the look on her face. "No, but that is something I'd definitely lay money down to see." He moved to reach for his boxers and jeans pulling them on in record time. "We're gonna do it this way." And with that he bent down grabbed her wrapped in the blanket and tossed her over his right shoulder and headed out of the office and out through the kitchen to the main room. He stood her on her feet as he reached for his shirt and pulled it on wincing at the pressure on his left side.

"Dean! You pop even one stitch and I'll tell Sam!" She chastised him. "I could have walked you know."

He reached for his boots slipping them on and picking up his gun and handing it to her with her own boots.

"Yeah, but this is more fun and I'll be careful. Promise." He winked as he scooped her up again picking up the rest of her clothes. He laughed as he heard her gasp again.

"Dean! Put me down right now! You could hurt yourself again!" She laughed as he pushed out the front door of the bar.

Dean smacked her on her rear as he headed through the parking lot for the motel room. "God I hope Ryon and Sam left the room unlocked because I don't think either of us has a key!" He said as he jogged on.

"Dean Winchester! You're crazy!"

"It's been said!" He threw back as he hustled them through the night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ryon, Sam, Amanda and Dean sat at a table in the corner of the bar enjoying the breakfast that Lila, Jimmy's lunch cook, had made for them. Rick had called Amanda and said they'd be there in about an hour and he was bringing three dogs and their handlers so they had to guard themselves around them.

Rick and Dusty knew about the Winchesters after talking with Amanda and Ryon; they knew about Dean's record in St. Louis and that he was supposedly dead, but they also knew about the supernatural from their Aunt, so they knew the score. They knew that they could be trusted if Amanda trusted them.

"I still don't like the idea of Dean going out there with us. What if Brenda finds him before we find her?" Sam asked, pushing his empty plate away and picking up his coffee cup.

"I agree with Sam; taking Dean out there is like waving a neon flag at her saying 'Here he is! Come and get him!' And I don't like it that you're going too, Mom. You're tied to both Brenda and Dean and while you may be able to find her, she can also find you." Ryon added.

Dean scoffed as he noticed that Sam had eaten two platefuls of artery clogging food and didn't even bat an eye. "I'm right here guys – right here; and I do not hide." He said sipping his own coffee and looking at Amanda. "Besides, if she does find me or Mandy, then we can take her…take care of her." He added watching Amanda.

Amanda nodded at Dean as they continued to discuss their options. She didn't like Dean coming either, but he'd insisted and she knew better than to confine him to the motel room. Short of tying him to the bed, he wasn't going to stay put.

"Dean is coming and that's the way it's going to be; for now. I'm not happy wit that either, but I'm not going to be the one to hogtie him to keep him on lockdown." She smiled at Dean blushing slightly at his wink.

"Yeah, well, I agree there." Sam said taking in the way the two were looking at each other. Looks like he and Ryon weren't the only ones making nice last night. "You're looking a bit chipper there Dean, have a good night?" He teased.

Dean turned to pin Sam with a look of 'really?' "Oh, I had an awesome night Sammy. Worked out a lot of the old kinks. How about you? What did you do to work up such an appetite this morning?" Dean threw back grinning.

Dean had the pleasure of seeing both Ryon and Sam blush. Amanda noticed too. She winked at Dean and was rewarded with his disarming smile. Dean was happy for Sam, finally maybe he was moving forward a little. _Good for you Sammy. Good for you._

"Okay, well while we're waiting for the others maybe I can get Ryon to help me with something back in my room. I also need to pick up my stuff. Come on Ryon, help your mother." Amanda said getting up from the table.

"What? But you don't need…" Ryon began, but stopped at seeing her mother's expression. "Umm, yeah okay. I need to check on something too." She was confused, her mother was never without at least one of her blades if not both, and she didn't know what other stuff she would really need.

As Dean watched the women leave the bar, he turned to Sam. "I'm gonna hit the bathroom. Make sure I get a refill on the coffee."

"Sure Dean." Sam chuckled as he watched Dean head off to the restrooms. He turned to signal to one of the girls helping Jimmy out to refill their coffee cups when his cell rang. He reached for it and looked at the display screen. He almost dropped his phone in his haste to answer the call after seeing who the caller was. "Dad?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"No. No way, Mom." Ryon couldn't believe what she was hearing from her mother. This was why she wanted to get her alone? Damn it. She was not going to do this to her, not now. "Absolutely not."

"There may not be another way to do this Ryon."

Maybe not, but we are not going that route and I'm not gonna let you do that to yourself when I have so much to ask you. I need to know what exactly happened three years ago…with Danny; with everything; and I'm not angry, I'm not. I…I just need to know the truth."

"That's one of the reasons I may have to do this." Amanda said as she walked over to the bed where her daughter had settled as soon as she'd heard what Amanda had to tell her. "Look Sam and Dean have destinies they need to fulfill. They don't like thinking that they do, but it doesn't change the fact that it's true. They are important to this world and I know that if Dean gets hurt, my powers will not bring him back. I have attached myself too closely to him and this is the only option I have now. I cannot let him just die. You have to understand that."

Ryon felt a tear fall from her eye as she thought about what her mother was telling her. She understood what she was saying, but she didn't understand how her mother expected her to live with this choice. She just didn't think she could do that.

"Can't we just worry about that when and even if the time comes? Maybe he won't even get hurt; maybe it'll be Sam or…or God forbid me and you can save us?" Ryon said as she felt another tear fall. She couldn't do this; not now.

"Ryon hon, believe me if there was any way around this I would do it in a heartbeat, and hopefully it won't happen, but I need you to be prepared for this if it does. And remember, it's only for a year." Amanda reached out and pulled her daughter into her arms as she spoke. "I have to this every three years anyway and I missed out three years ago, because I… well I sacrificed a part of myself to avoid that so I could search for you instead and the one year is the consequences of that sacrifice." She replied softly.

"But Mom…" Ryon begged.

"Honey, I didn't ask to be this…whatever you want to call it, and my mother didn't ask for this to happen to her either. You know I have a different father than my brothers, even though they don't. I can't change what happened to my mother to create me. God only knows I wish I could, but I can't. I've come to terms with my mom's genes and being a grand white witch, and now I have to come to terms with my father's genes. I don't know who he was, but I know what he was, and that he is a part of me." She paused to stroke her daughter's hair as she pulled her close to hold onto her. "He attacked my mother and…well I am the result of that attack."

"Mom…he was evil. Are you…no, you're not. You're just not like him." Ryon was afraid for her mother. She didn't know who her grandfather truly was, but she knew who her mother was; and she was not evil and never would be.

"Yes…he was evil; and I will have…some of his traits… just some because he was a… well not a human." Amanda couldn't bring herself to say it. "You know what he was; I know I've kept a lot of things from you and I'm sorry for that, but I never lied to you about what I am because of him."

"Okay, so that means what exactly? That your half witch and half ph- not witch?" She didn't want to upset her mother, but she didn't want her making this all about her father. "Mom…what you are doesn't override who you are; and you are nothing like him. I mean it."

Amanda hugged her daughter. "I know. Someone who created you can't be all bad right?"

"Well, my own father helped you out there, but yeah you aren't that bad at all." Ryon teased as she sniffled.

Amanda laughed at her daughter. "Yeah. Your father was something else." She paused as she remembered long ago times then she mentally shook herself as she realized she didn't have the time for walking down memory lane and wishing for a past that was long gone. "Look, I'll be all right as long as you follow the ritual. I wrote everything down in the book of shadows and if this does happen, your grandmother will help you. I promise as long as you follow the ritual everything will be all right."

Ryon clung to her mother. "But what you're telling me… about this and about Dean… I can't make the choice between you and him. I just can't do it."

"And I'm not asking you to. I'm making the choice for you. Dean has to survive because Sam has to survive. They both have to and you can't tell either of them about this. If they try to stop this or mess with any part of it, the ritual won't work later. Promise me, Ryon. Promise me you will heed my warning and keep this quiet." Amanda held on tight to her daughter.

She wished things could be different, but this was what had to happen. She couldn't stop this even if she didn't have to save Dean. She knew she'd still have to face her own destiny, but she could change things a long the way.

"Yes Mom. I…I promise." Ryon hugged her mother to her as she clung to the hope that she wouldn't lose her after the year ended.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hello Sam." Came the voice of John Winchester.

Sam got up and headed out of the bar to the parking lot so he could talk in private. Over the last few days he and Dean had been thrown around, beaten, clawed by demon daevas, tortured, been in a bar fight with no less than four demons, not to mention that Sam had actually died and come back, and to top it all off they had been betrayed by their own father. Sam still had a hard time with John Winchester. He closed his eyes tight as he gripped his cell phone in his hand.

_Dean had done everything for this man and he'd just up and left him without even so much as a word… He had avoided their calls when they'd gone back home to Lawrence… He'd called or texted coordinates and expected them to be his good little soldiers and do the job… He'd avoided Sam's call when Dean had been dying… He expected them to just do his bidding while he was off God knows where doing God knows what while he kept them in the dark about his actions… He always put the Demon ahead of everything, even his own sons… And then there was the ultimate… the man had chosen Dean to die at the hands of that monster James Bennett then he'd just walked away again; this time form both Sam and Dean._

"Hey Dad," Sam replied working hard to keep his voice as steady as possible. If he was planning on trying to send them off on another job, Sam was ready to just hang up on him, but until then he was going to get some answers from the man.

"Sam, are you all right?"

How did Sam answer that question? How did he get the answers he needed?

"Why Dad?"

"Why what Sammy?"

"Why did you betray Dean?" Sam blurted out. "Why did you call? Why didn't you come to Lawrence when Dean called you? Why didn't you come when Dean was dying? Why is this demon more important than me and Dean? Why have you let this…this thing take you away from us? Why did you let it keep you from being a real Dad? Why Dad? Why everything?"

AN: Don't forget those reviews! Love hearing from everyone and glad you're liking it, at least I think you are!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

There was a long pause; so long that Sam thought maybe John had hung up, but then he heard his father heave a long deep sigh.

"It's not what you think Sam. I didn't choose for Dean to die just so you could live. It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like? Because to me, to Dean, it looked like you cared more about me than you did about Dean. He has always done what you've told him; he's always taken your side in hunts even when he didn't agree with you because we both know you don't hear anyone's side but your own. Dean has always done what you've wanted from him and you just go off and leave him without a single word as to why. Then you chose him to die telling him you don't care about him at all."

"Sam-"

"What Dad?! What could you possibly say that will take away the hurt you've laid on him? What?!" Sam didn't care if he was yelling now. He was angry with his father over so many things that this was just the final straw.

"I chose Dean because I knew if I chose you that Dean couldn't live with you dead. He just…he just couldn't do it." John finally answered.

"What?" Sam was shocked. "You chose him to die because you think I can handle Dean's death better than he can handle mine?" What the hell kind of logic was that? Sam thought.

"It's the truth Sam. Dean has always, always put you first. He would willingly step in front of a bullet for you. You know he would. He could not live if he knew he was alive because you died. And I was pushed into a corner, I didn't know what to say, so I made the best decision I could under the circumstances. I'm not perfect Sammy. I'm not and I'm sorry for that and for this. I never thought Dean would think I didn't care about him any less than I care about you. I care." John's voice lowered as he struggled with his own emotions. "I know I messed up a lot with you boys, but I did the best I could…I…I just wish I could have done a lot of things differently."

Sam just stood there listening to his father. At first he was shocked the man would try to justify his decision with any kind of an explanation; but the more Sam thought about it, he knew his father was right. He knew he'd grieve for Dean, he'd hurt, he'd want Dean back, but no matter how much it would hurt Sam to lose Dean, he knew it would be ten times worse for Dean. Dean could not do it. No way.

Sam sighed. Just how much more screwed up could his family become? He thought. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair as he turned around to face the bar and instead came face to face with his brother. Damn it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Everything all right here guys?" Jimmy asked the group when he noticed the four come back inside to reclaim their seats at their table. "You guys need anything else before the others get here?"

"No Jimmy, we're good here. And don't worry, everything's gonna be fine." Amanda said as she turned to look at Jimmy.

"Yeah, sure it is." Jimmy paused offering her a weak smile. "Can we, umm talk for a minute Amanda…in private?" He asked as he shuffled his feet standing there.

Amanda looked at Dean to see if maybe he had a clue as to what Jimmy wanted, but Dean just shrugged his shoulders. "Sure." She said as she got up and followed Jimmy through the kitchen and into his office.

Amanda noticed right away that the bed was made and nothing seemed out of place, but she still blushed when she looked at the bed. Jimmy noticed her look and couldn't help a chuckle that escaped from within him.

"Don't worry, I straightened up before Lila saw anything out of place. Didn't want her thinking I was cheating on her!" He grinned at her.

Amanda continued to blush. "I'm sorry; I should have thought about that!"

"Amanda," Jimmy laughed. "It's all right. You know you're welcome here anytime. Besides I was with Lila last night so she'd know it had to be you. And I found your note and money for the beer you left by the register. You're fine and I'm happy for you. Dean's a fine young man."

"Yeah; key word there 'young'." Amanda replied quietly.

"And what's wrong with that? Lila's a lot younger than me; am I robbing the cradle?" He asked her with a twinkle in his eye.

Amanda laughed. "Lila is all of six years younger than you, Jimmy. Dean is almost… well he's more than that."

"So?" He asked again.

Amanda looked at him not understanding why he didn't get it. "What do you mean 'so'?"

"I mean why does it matter how much younger the boy is than you? He likes you; a lot. And he makes sure everyone knows it." Jimmy reached out and took one of her hands in hers. "That boy may be young in years, but he is wise in experience with life. He's lived a long time in his young life."

"Yeah, he has. He's had a rough life so that he could make sure his brother didn't."

"You like him?" He asked softly.

"Yes, I do." She smiled at him as she answered.

"Then don't be such a worry wart. If there's one thing I know, it's that life is too short to worry about what isn't really all that important in the first place."

"Thanks Jimmy." She said as she squeezed the man's hand in acknowledgment. "But you didn't call me in here to discuss my love life. I hope not anyway."

Jimmy offered her up a weak grin. "No; I wanted to talk about Brenda…and…her mother."

Amanda had thought he would be thinking along those lines but didn't know what more she could tell him. "What do you want to say? You know as well as I do that Brenda is being used here and we don't know who is using her."

Jimmy rubbed his hand over his face. He was tired; he hadn't slept since Brenda's disappearance. "You know just as well as I do who is behind this, Amanda. I'm just worried what lies she's putting in my girl's head."

"We don't know that for sure Jimmy. And Brenda could very well be totally oblivious to what's happening to her. We just need to find her and then we can get some answers." She patted his hand as she tried to comfort the man.

Jimmy was almost sixty-three years old and life had been hard on the man before he'd finally settled down. Jimmy was the same age as Amanda's oldest brother Evan and even if they were from different generations, she would always put family first.

"You know I would do anything for you and Brenda. I _have _done anything for you, and now is not the time to let _that _woman ruin your life all over again. She made her choice back then and she can't expect things to change now."

"But I know it's her. These men she's taking, they look like I looked thirty-five years ago and we know why she's choosing them. They've all been involved in a wild kind of lifestyle like I was. They were also all Hunters; like I was…once." He replied softly.

"That may be true and I admit it's quite possible she's behind this, but we just don't know that for sure."

"Your young man, Dean fits that bill. That's who she was after Thursday night. You have to protect him; I can't be responsible for anymore deaths." Jimmy looked at Amanda with such a look of despair that Amanda felt her heart breaking.

She was his cousin; she may have been just a little girl when Jimmy and her brothers were out carousing and just being young guys, but she was family. And here in Texas, family was everything no matter what.

"I just wish my Laura were here to help me face this. She would know how to handle all of this."

Amanda smiled at the memory of Jimmy's wife who had died when Brenda was young. "You know I will protect Dean Jimmy; and Laura would tell you the same thing I'm telling you. Just because she's not Brenda's birth mother, she knew her daughter and she would tell you to keep fighting and to have faith. I promise we will end this." Amanda began as she stood up. "I promise you with everything I am that I will find Brenda and I will bring her home to you. Then I will find who is behind this and I will end them. My promise to you."

"We both will." Dean said from the doorway of the office where he was leaning against the frame.

Amanda and Jimmy both turned to look at Dean. Amanda smiled a thank you to the man while wondering just how much of their conversation he'd heard. She didn't want to explain things that were Jimmy's business, but then again this was all screwed up because with Dean a target, well he deserved to know just what the hell was going on here.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean stood next to Amanda as they looked out at the woods behind the bar where they had come after talking with Jimmy. Dean wanted to talk alone so they'd come out the back door off the kitchen and now stood on the back patio. Amanda could feel that something was bothering Dean, yet she was having some trouble reading him right now.

"Are you all right Dean?" She asked truly concerned at what could be causing him some anxiety at the moment. She had not seen him like this before and it bothered her.

"I'm umm, I'm good. Just wanted to check on whether you were in trouble with Jimmy and couldn't help catching the end of your conversation with him." He said turning to stare off into the woods. He shuffled his feet subconsciously wrapping his arm protectively across his injured side.

Amanda took a moment to look at him; really look and she felt her heart breaking at what she saw. The man was hiding something and he was worried; deeply worried. She knew he wasn't up to this hunt, he had barely slept last night and here he was ready to go out there after God knows what.

Dean turned back to see her watching him. He offered her that amazing smile of his that actually reached those amazing eyes of his. He had planned to seek her out to talk about what he'd found out from Sam just now, but after hearing her and Jimmy talking, he knew Amanda was worried about something. Something that was a part of her own family and she didn't need to hear his problems when she had her own to deal with. There were too many secrets on both sides here and he was getting a bit confused with it all.

"There's more to it than that. You're holding something back Dean and you don't have to. You can tell me; I'm here for you too." She said, reaching out to touch the bandage at his temple.

Dean captured her hand and brought her palm to his lips. "It's nothing. I just found out something about my father…something that happened before we came here…nothing to do with this case." He reached out and pulled her to him as he bent down and captured her mouth with his. He needed to feel her against him; needed to know she really cared about him; that someone out there really cared about him, Dean Winchester; because he needed this link to someone other than his family.

Amanda felt Dean's lips on hers; felt his tongue touching hers. She could feel his need to feel she was there just for him in this one small moment of his life. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she let him caress the inside of her mouth. She let him know that right now it was all about him, and God it didn't hurt that the man could kiss.

She pulled away when she felt Dean retreating, but she kept her arms around his neck. "What was that for?" She asked smiling up into his green passion-filled eyes.

"That was…just because. Now what was all that with Jimmy?" He asked as he kept her close to him.

Amanda sighed as she saw she couldn't stall on this, so she took a deep breath and prepared to tell him Jimmy's story. "Well, it all began back before Brenda was born…" She was ready to tell him what she couldn't before; she knew that he needed to know the whole story.

The huge gust of wind that suddenly came caused Amanda to look towards the woods where she could see a woman watching them; not _a _woman, _the _woman, Amanda thought. _It was her! _She pulled back from Dean to rush towards the woman, her first instinct to fight, but when the wind suddenly changed directions she could feel Dean being pulled from her grasp instead. She tried to tighten her hold, but she could feel her arms being pulled back as he was being pulled from her. "Dean!" She yelled as she took in the look in his eyes.

She felt the whoosh of what could only be described as the sound of large wings flapping in the strong wind and then Dean was gone. He was there reaching out for her and then she was on her butt in the dirt watching him disappear into thin air. She hadn't even had time to use any of magic.

"Mandy!" Came the echoing sound of Dean's voice as the skies suddenly darkened and Amanda could feel _her_ voice her head.

_I told you once before Amanda you would never take something from me without repercussions. You took what I wanted most in this world and so I am taking Dean Winchester from you. Just be grateful I didn't take Ryon. A daughter for a daughter for a daughter would have been so much more appropriate, but since I have my daughter back, this is better._

_Why? I didn't take your daughter from you! You gave her up willingly to Jimmy. I didn't do this to you…you did this to yourself! If you hurt Dean, I promise you it will be the last thing you ever do. Do you hear me? Eva?! _Amanda sat there watching the skies continue to darken and the lightning begin as she took in the woman in the woods coming closer.

AN: Don't forget those reviews! I'll be off for the holiday so catch me after the weekend! Happy Thanksgiving!


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